Wanting Air
by thinkmusic13
Summary: A certain girl has made her return to Ipswich, much to the surprise of the Sons. Now, one of them has to figure out how to follow his heart as the time till his Ascension ticks away. Whatever happened to being the laid back one? PogueOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. This is my first fanfiction, so naturally reviews and critiques are appreciated. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Covenant or any of the characters. Except Astaire.**

* * *

"October," Reid Garwin drawled, sprawling into his seat in History class. "At last!"

Caleb Danvers glanced at Reid then back at his girlfriend Sarah, shaking his head in amusement.

" And why, Reid, is October different than any other month?"

" Halloween, oh fearless leader, Halloween. The holiday where chicks get frisky---"

"And you get lucky," finished Pogue Parry, coming up the steps. He slid down in the empty seat between Reid and Caleb and leaned back slightly in his seat. "Which actually isn't that different from every other day of the year."

Tyler Simms decided to put in his two cents, smiling hugely while reading a book for English.

" Face it Reid. You're the school slut in guy form."

Reid grinned devilishly, putting long white hands behind his head.

" At least I'm getting laid Baby Boy," he said pointedly, " Unlike someone else we know."

Tyler blushed slightly but just shook his head and continued reading.

" Aww, lighten up Ty," Reid languidly stated, rolling his eyes. " Caleb's not getting any either."

Sarah coughed violently, blushing furiously and leaning forward in her seat. Caleb patted her on the back concernedly and glared at Reid.

" Just leave them alone man." Pogue sighed, not even bothering to accompany his words with a look. He had his own problems to deal with, and he didn't want a battle of wills breaking out between his Covenant brothers.

" Hey Pogue, how's Kate?"

_ Speaking of issues..._

Pogue tensed and slid his eyes in Tyler's direction slowly. He paused before answering.

" She's fine. That flu bug she had last week is gone."

Caleb, sensing Pogue's slight distress, turned to look at his friend.

" Everything okay?"

" Yeah, man. Whatever."

Caleb looked at him a second longer then at Sarah. Sarah, as Kate's best friend, would know what Pogue wasn't sharing.

"They had another argument," Sarah whispered. " You know how Kate gets around guys sometimes."

He nodded. Caleb knew by know that Kate flirted with guys constantly. He wasn't sure if it was unconsciously done on her part, but Caleb knew it still bothered Pogue.

The final bell rang and Caleb turned towards the front of the room. With one last glance at Pogue's set jaw, Caleb pulled out a pen to take notes. This was going to be a long class period.

* * *

"Take a deep breath Astaire. This isn't such a big deal."

Astaire Montgomery paced in front of the mirror in the girls' bathroom at Spenser Academy. She periodically tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear with long brown fingers. "Pianist's fingers" her mother called them, even though Astaire didn't play the piano at all. Ugh…her mother. Astaire sighed tiredly. Her mother was intent that she rebuild her old life since she returned to Ipswich a day earlier. Naturally, that had to involve attending Spenser again.

Astaire gave a mental scream and stopped pacing. Grabbing the sides of the sink, she leaned into the spotless mirror.

" I can do this," she told herself, a small part of her cringing as she thought of the Little Engine That Could. "The past is the past and I can definitely start over with the guys."

She straightened, fixing her loose curls and unnecessarily adjusting her uniform.

" Besides, they probably won't even care about everything that happened. They've moved on."

She paused, grabbing her messenger bag and moving gracefully toward the door. Then, with one last look behind her, she whispered, " And so have I."

* * *

" The French Revolution was the turning point in French history," Mr. Whitman said with feeling, oblivious to the dozing students in front of him, " And by far the most intriguing part of the lesson plan for the year."

Pogue was desperately trying to stay awake. His brown eyes flitted closed, until a few seconds later when he ripped them open again. He had long since stopped leaning back in his chair for fear of falling backwards while asleep. He hated history, but he'd be damned if he slept through another class period. Reid wasn't going to get to draw on his face again.

A knock sounded on the classroom door, startling Pogue and every other sleepy student. Pogue glanced toward the door, almost interested in whatever exchange that would soon take place. Then he saw the hand on the now-opening door. The long, delicate fingers looked really familiar. Eerily familiar. But there was no way it was who he thought it was. It couldn't be. She wasn't about to walk right through the door. That would be as impossible as him giving up riding motorcycles.

Pogue looked warily at Caleb to see if he was thinking similar thoughts. By the confused and apprehensive look on Caleb's face, Pogue guessed so.

" Oh my fucking god," Reid whispered from Pogue's left, " She's back."

And sure enough, standing in the door was Astaire Montgomery. Member of one of the wealthiest families in Ipswich, friend of the Sons since birth, and Pogue Parry's first love.

Suddenly, Pogue felt his entire world shifting into the absurd. He had to be hallucinating. He looked to his best friends. Three pairs of shocked eyes met his. Crap. She really was here.

" Miss. Montgomery. Welcome back." Mr. Whitman smiled graciously at the girl in the door and waved her inside. " We were just talking about the--"

" French Revolution," Astaire cut in smoothly. "Your T.A. emailed me the syllabus."

" Well, obviously you're going to catch up just fine."

Mr. Whitman scanned the classroom. " Why don't you take a seat behind Mr. Parry? That seems to be the only available seat at the moment."

Astaire smiled and nodded at the professor, hoisting her bag higher on her arm.

"That will be fine."

Pogue's eyes widened and he looked at Caleb. Fine? Fine?! She couldn't sit behind him!

Caleb shrugged his shoulders, still in shock, and awkwardly patted Pogue on the back.

Pogue sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Would this be awkward? Yes. _Really_ awkward? Hell yeah. But he had to calm down. He was losing his cool and that didn't need to happen. Not today after his fight with Kate. And especially not so close to his Ascension. Breathe in, breathe out. Don't stress.

Astaire saw Pogue's not-so-secret freak out of epic proportions and felt exactly the same way, if not worse. She took a deep breath, pasted on a neutral expression, and started climbing the stairs.

She wasn't going to lie—she was extremely paranoid. She could swear he was glaring at her. But she was determined not to show anything on her face. She had done this routine before, and she knew that any sign of weakness gave people a reason to tear her down. It wasn't going to happen if she had anything to say about it.

Astaire walked past Pogue, Caleb, Reid, and Tyler. She didn't so much as glance in their direction. She wanted to, of course. She wanted to say hi, explain her absence, and get over the general uncomfortable-ness of it all. But now wasn't the time or place. She could wait.

As Astaire sat down, Pogue clenched his jaw in restraint. He couldn't believe that she had just waltzed by them as if nothing was wrong…as if she didn't know them. Pogue wanted to turn around and say something to her, yell at her even, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. Pogue knew he had to talk to her sometime, but her wasn't sure if today was the day. He wanted to talk to her, but then a part of him didn't want to. He was upset she came back, but then he wasn't. Pogue sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Why oh why didn't he skip class?

* * *

The class practically cheered as the bell rang, signaling the sweet end of first period. The Sons of Ipswich sat in their seats, unsure of what to do. Talk to her or ignore her? They knew she was still sitting behind them, probably in the same predicament they were.

_ This is a chess game_, Caleb thought, _who's going to move first?_

" Hi, I'm Sarah Wenham. Nice to meet you."

The Sons blinked in surprise. Not the segue they were expecting back into Astaire's life.

Looking warmly at Sarah, Astaire smiled and held out a hand. Sarah, who she figured must be Caleb's girlfriend, seemed sweet… _too _sweet to be from an old money family. Finally, someone like her friends back in L.A.

" I'm Astaire Montgomery. Nice to meet you." she shook Sarah's hand, noticing how Sarah didn't give the wimpy handshake she had come to expect from the females at Spenser. She smiled. Caleb picked a good one.

Sarah smiled widely, and turned to the boys.

" So, this is Ca--"

" Nice of you to come back after a year and a half."

Astaire looked at Reid in disbelief. The level of sarcasm and disdain in his voice surprised her, and it wasn't exactly what she was expecting.

Sarah looked from Astaire to Reid and back again, pausing in confusion.

"You know each other?"

" Thought I did," Reid answered harshly, glaring coldly at Astaire and picking with his black fingerless gloves.

Astaire stood and opened her mouth to spit out an angry retort, then closed it again abruptly. She would handle this with class.

Picking up her books slowly and carefully, she placed them in her bag with a calm she didn't feel. After sliding her bag delicately on her shoulder, she turned to the Sons. A small emotionless smile on her face, she said, "It's nice to see you four again. I missed you."

With that, she walked swiftly down the stairs and out the classroom door and headed to her next class.

Reid scoffed when she was gone, flexing his fingers in agitation.

" Missed us my ass."

Caleb glared at him, matching Reid's ice-blue stare with a heated brown one of his own.

"Cut it out, Reid."

Reid glared back, his spark of anger slowly turning into a full out blaze.

" She deserved it and you know it."

Caleb opened his mouth to disagree, but Reid venomously cut him off.

" Whatever, Caleb."

Reid grabbed his things and stormed out, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

Sarah looked at Caleb, her eyes holding a million questions. Caleb sighed tiredly, and began to answer.

" We're all childhood…friends."

Caleb paused before the word 'friends', glancing at Pogue quickly and back to Sarah.

" Our families have been friends for a while. Not as long as the four of ours have, but a long time. She moved to Los Angeles about a year and a half ago, and we haven't talked to her since. We all took it kinda hard."

Pogue sat there, his elbow on the table and his fist on his cheek. 'Kinda' hard? Caleb missed the mark by a mile. They were devastated. Completely crushed…well, at least he was. Who wouldn't be after the way they left things?

Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, Pogue stood and left, heading towards the parking lot. There was no way he could go to Spanish class. He was skipping until lunch. What he needed right now was to sleep.

* * *

Lunch was an hour long period of bliss at Spenser Academy. That is, for everyone except Spenser's golden boys. The Sons of Ipswich sat at their usal lunch table with their usual lunch choices in front of them. However, the topic of coversation was quite abnormal for the four teens. They were discussing whether or not they should go to Nicky's. The boys had never discussed it before. They just went. But after the day's events, they figured they should talk about it.

" I say we go," Reid said, leaning back with crossed arms. " who says she'll even be there?"

" She probably will," Caleb responded calmly, " and after the words exchanged today," he shota glance at Reid, " I don't think we should talk again so soon."

" Bullshit."

" It's not."

The table looked at Tyler. Glancing at each one of them, he laced his fingers thoughtfully before continuing.

" You hurt her feelings, Reid. She may not have acted like it, but you did. For just a second, she looked like you slapped her in the face."

Pogue looked at Tyler in slight amazement. He hadn't noticed her initial reaction, so how had Tyler? Pogue found himself slightly upset, but he didin't understand why. So what if he wasn't completely in tune with Astaire's emotions? He had a reason not to be. He hadn't seen her in more than a year. Besides, Caleb didn't notice either…right?

" She would've said something if she was so upset. That's the way she's always been. Right, Pogue?"

Pogue pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned to Reid.

" Yeah…but like you said, we only _think_ we know her."

He stood to leave.

"See you guys. I'm…" he ran a hand through his hair, " I dunno. Maybe I'll go swim."

Pogue hit the table lightly with his palm as he walked away, already tuned out to his brothers. He had a lot to think about. Including what happened with Astaire in what now seemed like forever ago.


	2. Thinking and Talking

Hello all! Thanks to all who reviewed. Means a lot! Anyway, here's the update!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _The Covenant_ or any its characters. I do, however, own Astaire. Oh, but I don't own _Think of Me_, either. That belongs to the talented Andrew Lloyd Webber.

* * *

A little known fact to those outside the Spenser student body was that the school had a ballet class. Well, more so an elite, kick-ass club of sorts that performed from time to time. Mostly, it just gave Spenser's best dancers an opportunity to practice and prepare for college auditions. Or show off. But who was honestly paying attention to distinctions like those?

Astaire Montgomery was a well-known name within the Spenser ballet community as well as within the Ipswich community as a whole. So when she walked back into the ballet studio at school, she was welcomed with open arms.

The studio was a place of comfort for Astaire. It was a mirrored haven where she could sit her hand on that waist high wooden bar and feel at ease. Which was exactly what she needed after such a trying first period. So during lunch, instead of heading to the dining hall, she escaped to her own personal heaven. Her old instructor Madame Cecelia was already waiting with a satisfied smile and Astaire's ballet essentials: black leotard and skirt, pink tights, pink ballet shoes, and bright turquoise legwarmers. Astaire almost collapsed into grateful tears at the sight.

So ten minutes later, Astaire emerged from the dressing room into a blissfully empty dance space with her favorite music playing. Turning up the music, she closed her eyes and let the music take over. Then she began to dance.

Every move was perfect---every leap in stunning formation, every pirouette landed with grace. Her arabesques were beyond compare.

But Astaire didn't notice how her steps were coming out. She just kept moving as she let her emotions guide her and inspire her. Every bit of her confusion, anger, sadness, and humiliation went into the routine. When she was done, she was exhausted and panting, but she finally felt relaxed. Astaire smiled. She had forgotten how much passion she put into dance. It was liberating, but quite tiring.

Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself to the floor. Now that she had worked out all her frustrations, she needed to think. First of all, she needed to assess her situation with each of the Sons. She started off with Reid.

Reid was definitely angry as hell. It was understandable. Reid used to be---well, still was in her mind---her best guy friend. They were partners in crime, thick as thieves. Sure, Reid was an arrogant pain in the ass before she left, but she had a feeling he acted way over the top now. In just a day, the tidbits she had heard about Reid amounted to one thing: he was a cocky man-whore with his mind constantly in the gutter. He used girls and tossed them aside like so much garbage. Reid used to treat her with respect, but even if he stopped being angry at her would he treat her like all the other girls? Like she was just some submissive, stupid girl for him to taunt? Astaire sighed. She forgot how much people changed.

Switching mindsets, she thought of Tyler. She smiled. He truly _was_ Baby Boy to her, but it seemed like he'd matured. Astaire was glad. His plain shyness seemed to have shifted into just quiet observance. Plus, he didn't seem mad at her, just shocked. Perhaps he would be the first of her childhood friends she would speak to again.

Caleb was still, thankfully, Caleb. He was the one solid thing amidst the sea of change. Astaire was thankful that her big brother of sorts was still as she remembered. Stoic, responsible, polite, and an all around good guy. But she hoped he still had enough rebellion in him to have some fun once in a while. Through everything, Caleb was the guy she always got advice from, and she had a feeling she still could. Not now, however, for he seemed confused on how to act…he did possess loyalty on the matter to a certain brother.

Which brought Astaire hesitantly to Pogue. She wasn't sure want to think of him. He seemed shocked, that's for sure, and more than a little upset. That was expected. She didn't know if he was angry or not, and she wasn't certain she wanted to find out. She knew that they had to discuss things sometime, but she wasn't sure if she was ready. Pogue and her…it was complicated.

Astaire hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Reid wasn't the only one she had heard gossip about, and apparently Caleb wasn't the only Son with a girlfriend. Astaire had heard that Pogue had a girlfriend named Kate. She hadn't seen Kate yet, but she could assume she was pretty from the way guys went on about how lucky Pogue was. Supposedly, she was pretty popular. It made sense, and yet, Astaire wasn't sure on how she felt about it. Pogue was, well, _Pogue_. Like it or not, he would always mean something to her. Good or bad was the question. Also, it didn't help her emotional dilemma that Pogue had gotten extremely hot during her time away. She was a seventeen year old girl with hormones after all, and couldn't help but notice how well muscled he was.

Astaire sighed. So this is what it felt like to be back.

* * *

Pogue felt loads better after his swim. He had exercised rigorously, which he figured produced endorphins that led to his slightly uplifted mood.

Strolling out of the locker room, he thought he'd head for the dining hall and try talking to Kate. He was feeling slightly more reasonable than he had before, and wanted to resolve things sooner, rather than later.

_**Think of me. Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye…**_

Pogue paused, craning his head towards the sound. He miraculously knew that song, but more importantly, he knew that voice.

_**Remember me. Once in a while please promise me you'll try…**_

Pogue moved down the hall in a direction he hadn't gone in a year. _Strange_, he thought, _how you can always remember some things… such as the way to one of the most important places of someone who used to be your world. _He stopped in front of the one-way mirror that looked into Dance Studio A.

_**When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free…**_

_**If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me.**_

Pogue smiled a little as he saw Astaire, dark brown curls haloing her head as she laid on the floor with her eyes closed. Her ballet shoes were laid neatly beside her with the skirt thrown over them. She looked peaceful. Pogue looked at he clock. Ten minutes until class. With a sigh, he figured he should remind her of the time. It was a shame, though, that he'd have to disturb her.

Taking a deep breath, Pogue pushed open the door to the studio.

SLAM!

He grimaced as it hit the wall. Maybe he'd opened it a little more forcefully than intended. Then again, he was really anxious. He didn't expect to be conversing with her so soon.

Astaire shot up, hair flying, and whipped her head towards the door with wide eyes.

" Hey."

Her deer in the headlights expression didn't fade as she looked at Pogue.

" Um, hey."

They were both very plain greetings. Very neutral. But the tense atmosphere made it seem like the beginning of an Old Western showdown.

Pogue looked away awkwardly, running a hand through his hair.

" I, uh, saw you in here and thought I should let you know that, uh, class is starting in ten minutes."

Astaire nodded, slightly regaining her wits now that she realized Pogue wasn't here to have the dreaded conversation. She had dodged it for now. She bent down and picked up her things.

" Thank you. I lost track of the time."

She turned on her heel and walked towards the changing room. Pulling a hair band off her wrist, she hastily and somewhat haphazardly put her hair into a ponytail. It was difficult, seeing as she was also trying to hold her shoes and escape from Pogue.

" Astaire."

She turned, looking at him and quirking a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"You and I need to talk. Not now, but sometime."

She nodded slowly.

" Yeah, you're right. I'm sure we'll find the time."

She turned again.

" Nicky's. Tonight." he said.

Astaire paused, thinking. Was she ready to talk to Pogue this soon?

"Sure," she answered, still looking ahead of her. With that, she walked into the changing room

_So much for dodging the conversation._

* * *

Pogue stood there for a moment before leaving the studio.

" Nicky's? Tonight? Ah, man. I can't believe I said that!"

He ran a hand over his face. He was in no way, shape, or form ready to talk about the issue filling the huge crater between him and Astaire. He hadn't even resolved his problems with Kate yet and here he was, diving into some more. Sometimes his brain wasn't connected to his mouth, but his foot definitely was. And he'd definitely shoved his boot in there this time.

" I couldn't have picked a worse place!"

"Talking to yourself?"

Pogue turned his head, smiling sheepishly at Caleb.

"Hey, man."

Caleb's smile widened as he came up to his friend.

" 'Couldn't have picked a worse place' for what?" he asked.

Pogue once again ran a hand through his hair, his face becoming serious. There was silence for a few seconds before he answered.

" I asked Astaire to talk to me tonight at Nicky's. Like, _really_ talk."

Caleb concentrated on the clack of there shoes as they walked down the hall. He was surprised that was certain. He didn't think Pogue would even consider talking to Astaire this soon.

" why at Nicky's?" Caleb questioned, looking at Pogue. " Why tonight?"

They turned into a populated hallway. The female portion of the student body looked lovingly at the Sons as they made their way to English. However, the boys took little notice, as they were engrossed in their own conversation.

" Because," Pogue started, trying to keep his voice casual, " I figured she'd want to go to Nicky's anyway, and I just want to get this conversation over with so we can both, y'know, get over it."

" Have you ever thought about the possibility that the two of you will end up together again?"

Pogue stared at Caleb in blatant disbelief.

" I'm serious," Caleb said, not looking away. " Have you ever considered that the reason you and Kate are constantly at odds is because you don't really love her?"

" What?! Of course I do."

Caleb paused, not sure how his next words would go over with his friend. But, he was sure telling Pogue his real opinion was the best option.

"Not fully. Not like you loved Astaire." Caleb stopped in front of the door to English, looking seriously at Pogue. " Not like you _love_ Astaire."

Pogue could only stand shocked as Caleb went into class. He couldn't believe Caleb thought that. He was wrong, anyway…completely crazy.

" Pogue. You comin', dude?"

Reid walked by and clapped Pogue on the shoulder.

" Yeah, man. I'm coming."

* * *

School was finally over for the day. After driving to her upscale townhouse, Astaire flopped down on her bed in pure exhaustion. She'd had one of the most trying days of her life, and the worst part was that it wasn't even done yet. She still had to go to Nicky's.

She rolled over on her side and curled up into a ball. Nicky's. The place held a lot of memories…

" _I don't dance, Air," a sixteen year old Pogue insisted._

" _C'mon," she replied, pulling his arm gently. " One dance won't kill you. It'll be fun."_

" _Oh, I just bet it will," Reid joked, blue eyes sparkling with wit._

_Astaire scoffed. " I didn't mean anything dirty."  
Caleb grinned. " Better not have, or I might have to have a serious talk with somebody." He glared mock-seriously at Pogue._

_Pogue laughed, taking Astaire's hand. " Okay, Air. One dance. Let's go."_

_She smiled, her brown eyes lighting up. Astaire nodded as she followed her boyfriend out to the dance floor._

" _Hands to yourselves!" Tyler jokingly called after them._

"_Not a chance," Pogue whispered, pulling Astaire recklessly close and looking into her eyes. " I just won't let you go."_

_She gazed back up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The caring way he was looking at her truly touched her._

" _Good," she said softly, burying her head into his chest. " Because there's no place I'd rather be."_

_He grinned and leaned his head down so that his lips were right in front of hers. " Kiss me."_

_Astaire smiled as she answered._

" _Gladly."_

**Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.**

Astaire turned her head lazily to look at her cell phone. It was vibrating its little heart out on the bedside table. She swiftly picked it up so it wouldn't fall to the floor.

" Hello?"

" Hey."

Astaire blinked in surprise. " Caleb?"

He laughed a little before answering. " Yeah, it's me."

" How'd you get my number?"

" I called your house and asked your mom."

"Oh."

She wasn't quite sure what to say. Her mind was a jumbled mess of questions. Why did Caleb call her? Would the others be mad if they knew he did? Was he going to be mad at her?

" I just wanted to say hi." Caleb said, sounding at ease with the conversation. " we haven't talked in a while."

" No, we haven't." Astaire agreed. She paused, unsure of what to say. After a few moments, she settled on just saying what was on her mind.

" I'm sorry… for everything. Especially for not calling and coming back announced."

" Thanks for the apology," he said sincerely before stopping for a second. " But I didn't hear you say you were sorry for leaving."

Astaire looked out the window, slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected him to catch that.

" You're right. I didn't say sorry for leaving because I'm not. It was what I needed to do, and it helped me. You have _no_ idea how much better I got after I left."

She could picture Caleb nodding, whether in agreement or contemplation.

" Alright," he said, "Well, I'll see you at Nicky's."

Oh, so Pogue _had_ told Caleb that he planned to talk to her.

"Yeah."

" And Astaire?

" Yes?"

" Welcome home."


	3. A Little More Pain, Please

Hello all! Okay, so this is Chapter 3. Sorry for not updating sooner, but I was busy reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Plus, I had to handwrite and then type this chapter since I hadn't thought of it yet...hope it's as good as the first two chapters. There's some serious drama in this one, and a tad more cussing. Sorry 'bout that!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Covenant and all that good stuff, and I don't own the little bit of dialogue I used from the movie. BUT, I do own the characters Astaire and Chad.

* * *

Nicky's was the embodiment of a lot of things Astaire wasn't a big fan of: alcohol, smoking, crowds, and "the wild party" vibe. But somehow, she loved the establishment and a boatload of things about it. Pulling up to Nicky's in her red Audi finally helped her that fuzzy feeling one gets when they're home.

As soon as she stepped out of the car, she could hear the music blasting from the place. She shook her head. It was a wonder no one had gone deaf.

Humming along with the music, she made her way to the door, pulling her black peacoat a little closer in an effort to keep out the cold. It was useless of course, for the cold and Ipswich went hand in hand. But being in L.A. had caused her to momentarily forget the chill feeling of the air in her hometown.

Once inside, she pulled of her coat to reveal a purple thermal shirt with holes for thumbs. The silver stars on the shirt matched with the silver necklaces she had on and her silver flats. Snug fitting jeans completed the image, but she found herself wishing she'd dressed up a little more. Scanning the room, she had forgotten how Nicky's was the "in" place to be and therefore the theme for females was "dress to impress." Who exactly? Well, Astaire figured anybody and everybody, with the other theme being "less is more." It was just the way these girls thought. She was never that way, preferring to keep her body covered, but she did like to make an impression.

" Mm…good to see that ass back in town."

Astaire didn't even grace the guy with a glance, though her eyes widened a tad. She had, however, been fighting off the urge to throw up from the second he came within two feet of her.

"Chad."

Chad was one of Aaron Abbot's friends. He figured that he was a tough guy, and God's gift to women besides. He had hit on Astaire constantly since the day they met. She was sick of it, and he took a perverse kind of pleasure out of her obvious disdain.

The boy smirked, looking her up and down hungrily. " You've got nice assets, babe. You've definitely grown up over the years." He raised is eyebrows suggestively. " And so have I. Wanna see?"

She held back a disgusted groan and settled for rolling her eyes and quickly walking away. Shuddering slightly, she made her way towards a tiny table in the corner. She sat her stuff down and took a seat, shutting her eyes to regain her composure. Chad truly freaked her out. He scared her, no matter how much she tried to act tough.

" Want some company?"

Astaire opened her eyes, smiling at the boy in front of her who was a stark contrast to Chad.

"Of course."

Tyler sat down across from her. She noted offhand that he'd gotten taller like the rest of them. He grinned.

"Checking me out Montgomery?" he asked with a playful grin.

She chuckled slightly.

"Nope. Just noticing how much you've grown. Guess they can't call you Baby Boy anymore."

"Oh, yes they can," he laughed. " And they do."

She laughed slightly, smiling. It was so easy to get back in sync with Tyler. It was almost as if she had never left.

"So where's Reid? As I recall he always bummed a ride off of you."

Tyler shrugged, acting nonchalant about it. He was trying not to think of how much of a jerk Reid was going to act around her.

"Found another mode of transportation I guess. Here he comes now."

Astaire turned and saw Reid heading their way. He was purposefully not looking at her, his eyes on Tyler. The only indication that he even noticed her presence was his clenched jaw.

"Hey Baby Boy, Aaron and them are by the pool tables. Feel like hittin' some suckers up for cash?"

Tyler glanced at Astaire questioningly. She didn't miss the worry in his eyes.

" Go ahead," she said waving off his concern. " I'll be fine."

" Nice to know he has to have your permission to do something fun," Reid sneered, leaning into her face. " You've turned into a real killjoy."

Astaire reached for the band flyer on the table and said calmly, " And you've turned into a real jackass. Time changes people I guess."

Reid scowled and ripped the flyer out of her hands. Then, smirking, he balled it up and threw it at her head.

" I heard Pogue's talking to you tonight. I just can't wait…I love a good train wreck."

He sauntered off to the pool tables, a devilish grin plastered on his face. Sure, he felt a little guilty, but so what? Guilt meant nothing in the long run, especially to a seasoned badass like himself. Why should he feel bad if she ended up crying later?

_Hell, tears would add fuel to the fire._

* * *

When Pogue walked into Nicky's that night, he felt like he had, emotionally, been hit by a truck. He made the mistake of stopping first at Kate's to try to resolve things. It hadn't worked, and things got worse when he told her he was going to talk to Astaire. Pogue sighed.

_Crash and burn. But at least I tried._

" Pogue!"

He turned to find Sarah waving him over to a table.

" Hey Sarah."

" Hi."

" Where's Caleb?"

Sarah didn't answer right away. She sipped her Sprite for a moment then looked at Pogue seriously.

" I asked him to come later. I need to talk to you."

Shrugging out of his jacket, Pogue raised his eyebrows.

"What about?"

"Kate."

Pogue ran a hand through his hair slowly.

" I just talked to her, Sarah."

Now it was Sarah's turn to raise her eyebrows.

" Really? Well, did you guys sort things out?"

" Not really."

" I thought so…"

Pogue stopped moving and stared at his friend's girlfriend.

"What do you know that I don't know?"

Sarah closed her eyes briefly, thinking back to the conversation she had with Kate when Chase was in the picture. Before they even thought he was evil...

_" I hate him when he's like this," Kate huffed, getting ready for bed. "He's been jealous since the day we met. It drives me crazy."_

_Sarah looked up from her book._

_" You don't hate Pogue," she gently reminded her friend. " You guys are perfect for each other."_

_Kate looked at Sarah while putting her ebony hair into a ponytail._

_" Maybe not. Maybe it's time to check out something new." She climbed into bed, pulling up the covers in agitation._

_" And maybe that's what Pogue is picking up on." Sarah responded._

_Kate glanced at her, not arguing with her, yet not willing to take some blame off of Pogue._

_Kate's phone rang, interrupting the silence. Sarah knew it was Pogue, and she knew Kate wasn't going to answer. Because really, Sarah had the sinking feeling that Pogue wouldn't be the main man in Kate's life for much longer._

" That was the first time she mentioned anything like that to me," Sarah said looking down, " But she's talked about it a few more times since then."

Pogue stayed quiet his eyes unfocused. Part of him was livid. If Kate felt that way, why were they still together? She shouldn't drag their relationship on when her heart wasn't one hundred percent in it.

Another part of Pogue was sad and more than a little confused. Kate was a big part of his life. It hurt that she seemingly wanted to cut herself out of it. What had he done wrong? He was always there for her.

The last part of his emotions, however, was battling for control. It freaked him out a little because within that part he felt relieved. Relieved that he now knew the actual problem, and relieved that he hadn't told Kate his secret. But mostly, he was relieved that because now, it felt over. All the ups and downs, the jealousy, and every single bit of arguing were over. Pogue was surprised to find that he had, miraculously, received a little closure from Sarah's revelation. Now, all he had to do was go have a conversation with Kate that was long overdue.

"Pogue? I'm sorry…I just thought you should know." Sarah scrambled for words, feeling guilty for telling Pogue such bad news. " I probably should have let her tell you, but---"

"Sarah."

She jerked her head up to look at Pogue. She was taken aback by the calmness in his voice. Pogue patted her hand, looking at her warmly before turning his head.

" It's better to know. I'm grateful that you told me. Shows that you're a real friend, not only to Kate, but also to me. This is better for both of us… a little painful, but better."

He stood, grabbing his jacket.

" See you around."

Sarah nodded, relieved that he had taken the information with such maturity. She had kind of expected him to yell. Not at her, per say, but in general. Now, all she could do was wait and see what would become of her two friends.

* * *

Tyler had offhandly watched the conversation between Pogue and Sarah, waiting for a chance to talk to his brother. He saw his chance when Pogue picked up his jacket and headed for the door.

"Pogue!"

Pogue turned to see Tyler weaving through the crowd towards him.

"What's up, Baby Boy?" he asked when the youngest made it over.

Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets.

" Astaire's here, you know. Caleb mentioned something earlier about you wanting to talk to her." Tyler narrowed his eyes in slight confusion. " He asked me to keep her here until you got in, but it seems like you're bolting."

Pogue winced, looking down at the floor. Shit. He had completely forgotten that he was going to talk things over with Astaire.

Lifting his head up, he searched her out. She was sitting at a table in the corner, eating some fries and looking around for someone. Him, probably. Pogue was debating what he should tell her when a tall guy in Abercrombie and a letterman jacket came up to her. The guy leaned into her, pinioning her between his arms.

" Oh, no," Tyler whispered, running a hand over his face. "That's Chad."

Pogue was moving through the crowd before Tyler could say anything else. His face was turning slightly red with anger as he made his way over to his ex-girlfriend.

_Chad, you bastard…_

* * *

"Get away from me, Chad!" Astaire said forcefully, scooting farther away from the guy in front of her. She felt he back hit the wall and she internally panicked.

_Calm down. Assess the situation._

She tried to calm herself down as she thought of the facts.

Fact one: Chad was slightly drunk.

Fact two: Chad was horny.

Fact three: Chad was a teenage boy with raging hormones.

_Oh, god. No._

This situation was painfully familiar to Astaire, and she wasn't going to lie---she was scared. But this time, she wasn't going to act completely helpless. Grabbing her coke, she threw the liquid quickly into his face. Then, grabbing he things, she tried moving towards the door.

Taken by surprise, Chad stumbled backwards. Slowly, he wiped his face off.

" That all you got, babe?" Chad taunted, chuckling at her actions. " You know I like it when you get feisty."

He came towards her again, the alcohol in his system fueling his ego and desire.

" Back off!" Astaire shouted loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Through her chaotic whirlwind of thoughts, she realized she needed help. She couldn't beat him in hand to hand, not with his height and muscle. She could've incapacitated him using _another_ method, but there were too many people around. They would ask questions, which would create another problem. Besides, with her emotions so out of control, she might do more damage than intended.

_But maybe that would be the best thing here…_

"You heard her. Back off."

Astaire blinked as Pogue stepped in front of her, effectively shielding her from Chad. She couldn't relax, though. She wasn't out of the woods yet.

" Parry?" Chad said mockingly, moving closer to Pogue. " I'm surprised you, of all people, came to her rescue."

" Shut up, Haggerty." Pogue hissed menacingly. He could feel the Power within him rising, begging to be used, but he forced it down. He couldn't lose his temper completely.

"You can't be her knight in shining armor _now_," laughed Chad, "Not when you just about cussed her out when she was in this situation…how long ago was it? Year and a half, isn't it?"

"Shut up."

Chad just laughed again, never taking his eyes off Pogue.

" Déjà vu's a bitch, ain't it Parry?"

WHAM!

Pogue's fist collided solidly with the left side of Chad's face, sending him crashing into a table. He slumped to the floor, out cold.

" I just bet it is." Pogue retorted, taking a small step back.

" Care to explain?!" Nicky's voice thundered. He was suddenly standing next to Pogue, baseball bat in hand.

" I punched---"

" Oh CRAP!"

Everybody turned to look at Tyler, who was kneeling urgently on the floor. " She collapsed!"

Pogue snapped his head to Astaire, who was now lying motionless on the floor.

* * *

No offense to you Kate lovers out there...but I saw her character as a bit of a flirt and not a good match for Pogue. I'll try to update soon. Have a good day/afternoon/evening! 


	4. Revisiting the Crash Site

Hey guys. Sorry it took me so long to update, but I had theatre camp all week and a little bit of writer's block. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! By the way, I'm posting a new pic of Astaire, with a different person than the first pic. It's more like I pictured her looks.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Covenant, however I do own the characters Astaire and Chad.And this story. Oh, and I don't own the song from "Singin' in the Rain" that's being used as a ringtone.

* * *

" Why hasn't she woken up yet?" Reid demanded, pulling off his black beanie in irritation.

"She's passed out Reid, not taking a nap," Tyler uncharacteristically snapped. "Besides, where were you when the whole thing went down? Playing pool, right?"

" Chill, Baby Boy," Caleb chastised. " You need to calm down."

" Fine. Whatever." With an angry glance at Reid, Tyler sat down in the armchair.

Pogue stood by the window, arms crossed and eyes on Astaire. It had almost been an hour since they had brought her to Caleb's house and she hadn't stirred.

"Maybe we should check for head injuries," Pogue suggested.

Caleb sighed, shaking his head.

" We already did. She'll wake up soon."

"You hope. You don't know for sure! For all you know she could have a concussion!"

"Calm down, Pogue."

"Can it, Baby Boy."

Tyler's lips straightened into a hard, angry line. He usually would have shut up by now, but after getting scolded by Caleb, he wasn't in an acquiescing mood.

" What? I have to stay calm and you don't? Please. You're not above anyone Pogue."

"Never said I was, did I?"

"You sure act like it."

" Oh really? Well I---"

Reid rolled his eyes and watched the argument flare up with boredom. It was late, he was tired, and he had a Calculus test in the morning that he sure as hell didn't study for. And to top it off, one of his best friends was back in town and now unconscious on the couch after getting sexually harassed. All in all, a pretty stressful day.

" Screw this."

Reid's eyes flashed black and he fixed them on Astaire. If she wasn't going to wake up on her own, he might as well give her a little jolt.

"AHHH!!!"

Pogue quickly looked back at Astaire, panic written over his face.

"What's happening to her?"

The bleach blonde Son smirked, a "guilty as charged" expression on his pleased face.

"She lives."

Astaire snapped up, eyes wide open and fingers digging into the cushions. She looked around wildly, meeting each of the boys' eyes. Her own narrowed as she met Reid's mischievous blue ones. His widened perceptibly when they saw hers turn a dark green.

"Don't you EVER do that to me again, you miscreant!" she snapped, raising her hand and, along with it, Reid. " Do you have any idea what that felt like? It was like being shocked with a hyperactive defibrillator!"

Tyler laughed. The night was definitely starting to look up.

Caleb shook his head in exhaustion and looked at his friends. _Typical_.

" Astaire, put him down," he said tiredly. " And Reid? Try not to work any more miracles."

Astaire pulled her hand away and Reid went crashing to the floor. He landed flat on his stomach and let out a pained groan.

" Nice to see you've got a better handle on your telekinesis," Caleb said to Astaire, taking a seat next to her. " How'd you learn to control it?"

She stayed silent, looking down at her hands. She didn't feel like telling this story right now. She felt drained and just wanted to sleep.

When she didn't say anything, Reid sighed. His patience, the little he had started with, had gone.

" Well, if she's going to be all mute about it, then I'm going to go back to the dorms. I've got better things to do."

" No," the eldest Son argued, " You are going to stay here. Regardless of whether she tells us that particular story or not, we've still got stuff to sort out."

Reid stood still. Caleb was right, and he knew it. They were all still friends when one got down to the core of it all. It was just the layers of unresolved emotional crap that was causing the problem. Once that was gone, they could basically go back to the way things should be. And as much as he hated to be sappy, Reid had really missed Astaire and the way their friendship used to be.

He sighed. " Whatever."

Pogue took a deep breath as he moved towards a chair. This was going to be one hell of a conversation.

"Tell us why you left." Tyler asked, careful to keep his tone fairly neutral. " It can't be just because of what happened with Po---"

" It wasn't." Astaire interrupted, looking up. She pursed her lips while she thought. Sighing, she decided she might as well tell them the unabridged version of her story. She would have to tell them eventually, and it was pointless to have stayed silent earlier.

" The main reason I left was to learn how to control my power. After my…um…_argument_ with Pogue," she looked quickly at him, " I realized that I needed help with my telekinesis. Since it was essentially controlled by my emotions, it was extremely dangerous. I mean, c'mon, you guys know how temperamental I can be sometimes."

She paused, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

" So, after a while, my dad came up with a solution to my control issues. When his brother was my age, he had unruly powers too. Therefore, he went to this high school called Octavian Heights. Basically, it was like the school in X-Men without the fighting, save-the-human-race bit. After talking to my uncle, my dad enrolled me there. He said it was the best thing for me; if I didn't learn how to control my telekinesis, the power load I will eventually get could leave me brain damaged. Besides, he was offering an out. My relationship with Pogue was on the fritz and you guys had taken his side without even noticing. I felt like everything here was falling apart, so I bolted to avoid getting crushed by the debris. So, my dad and I packed up and flew to L.A. to start over. Him at a new law firm and me at a boarding school for kids with supernatural powers."

"Holy shit…" Reid said, breaking the silence that followed Astaire's speech. " That's so fucking cool."

Nobody knew quite what to say to that. So, in true Reid fashion, Reid kept talking.

"I mean. We all thought you ran off because you couldn't take the heartbreak. But really, it was because you couldn't muster up enough control for your powers…which by the way could have left you a vegetable. Let me tell you, this has got to be the first time the truth has been more awesome than a lie."

"Hey Reid?" Pogue called.

" Yeah?"

" Shut the hell up."

* * *

Over the course of the next half an hour, Astaire told the boys all about her school and what went on in her life during her absence. She left out the details about friends and such, figuring she'd wait too tell those stories later. The atmosphere in the room was still tense, and Astaire knew why. There was one question the boys still hadn't asked. 

"So why didn't you call?" Reid asked coolly. His awe over her explanation had faded away as he thought about all the drama he and the guys went through after she split.

Astaire stared at him, trying to choose her words carefully.

" I didn't contact you guys because… it wasn't the best thing to do."

"That's the biggest pile of shit I've ever heard."

"Reid." Caleb warned. He was upset too, but it wouldn't do any good to start being mean to her. She'd close herself off again.

Astaire looked away from Reid and at the floor in front of her.

" I wouldn't contact you because it would have been detrimental to my learning process. I knew that if I called you, two things could have happened. You would have been mad at me for leaving and made me feel overwhelmingly upset, or just hearing your voices and talking with you all again would have made me want to come back home badly. Either way, that would not have been beneficial to what I was trying to accomplish. The key to getting a better grip on my powers was learning to control my emotions. Talking to the four of you would have thrown any control I had gaining out the window. I would have been an emotional wreck."

"That makes sense." Tyler said reluctantly, " But it still would have been nice for you to call. We weren't doing so well for a while after you left. Some of us changed quite a bit." He looked pointedly at Reid, who didn't say anything more.

Astaire nodded, locking eyes with everyone. " I'm sorry."

Caleb nodded, hugging her tightly. "Apology accepted."

Tyler too nodded and shot her a warm grin.

She smiled slightly, grateful that at least two of her friends weren't angry with her. She looked at Reid, who held her gaze for a couple of seconds. She was asking for forgiveness and a chance, and she searched Reid's eyes for both. The blonde's eyes seemed to lose some, but not all, of their coldness. Blinking slowly, Reid walked swiftly out of the room, gazing straight ahead.

"I'll be in the car, Baby Boy."

Astaire stood up slowly, not quite sure of where she stood with Reid.

" I think I'm going to go home now. Is my car here?"

Tyler smiled sheepishly. " No. We were all so freaked out that you fainted that we didn't think about bringing your car. It's still at Nicky's."

"Oh. Well, it's ok. Can one of you drive me home?"

"I'll take you."

Astaire looked at Pogue, who was looking intensely back. He hadn't spoken during her story, but she had a feeling that he wanted to talk now.

" Alright. Thank you." She turned to Caleb and Tyler, waving. " See you two later."

They softly said their goodbyes and Astaire left the house behind Pogue.

" Think that they're finally going to talk about what happened?" Tyler asked Caleb quietly.

" Yeah, I think they are."

* * *

Being back on Pogue's motorcycle was a weird feeling for Astaire. She hadn't been on one since she left, and had forgotten how free she had felt riding it. However, that feeling was slightly marred by the tension that engulfed her and Pogue. 

_This is certainly awkward_.

Her arms were around his body, and she could feel his warmth, his steady breaths. It was familiar sensation, and like it had in the past, it made her heart beat a little faster. Astaire hadn't felt so confused in a long time. Even though she and Pogue had broken up, they still fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Astaire wasn't quite sure why, but she felt that it was both right and wrong for that to be so. He had a girlfriend, after all.

Pogue too, was perplexed. Having Astaire so physically close to him brought some emotions to light that he thought had died a long time ago. Obviously, a year or so wasn't enough to forget about how Astaire made him feel. He was happy about that, but also unsure. Where would they stand with each other? Were they going to stay friends for the rest of their lives, or eventually pick things up where they left off? Pogue inwardly sighed.

_It really doesn't help matters that she's gorgeous._

When Pogue pulled up in front of her townhouse, Astaire almost immediately got off the bike. She had to let go of Pogue in order to regulate her heartbeat. She was going to need to be as calm as possible for the impending conversation. She handed the spare helmet back to him.

" I suppose you want to come in?" she asked politely.

"Yeah," he answered, swinging his leg over his bike. He tucked the helmet under his arm. " I want to talk."

" Sure."

She walked carefully up to the door, putting the key steadily in the lock and opening the door. Astaire held it open for Pogue as he walked through the door nervously.

" I live off campus too." He said, trying to relax. " In an apartment."

She nodded, closing the door. Pogue got the sense that she wanted to get straight to the point, so he took a deep breath and dove in.

" Look, what happened between us was bad. But…it was bad for a lot of different reasons. I think that because of who we were back then and the way we would react to things, the situation was a lot worse than it could have been."

"It was still pretty awful."

"Yeah," Pogue agreed, "But I think if we had taken the time to sort things out, then everything would have ended differently.

Astaire scoffed, sitting straight-backed on the couch.

"You mean that if _you_ had taken the time to sort things out. If I remember correctly, you were the one to jump to conclusions."

Pogue paused, thinking back. " True. But after that it was basically a disaster."

_

* * *

_

**_Flashback_**

_It was a pretty Thursday afternoon. The chill in the air was unusually_ _minor, and the sun shining bright in a cloudless sky. Spenser students were in high spirits because of their long weekend. Everything seemed perfect._

_Astaire practically skipped up to her dorm room. She was ecstatic. She had no homework, no school tomorrow, she had just aced her Latin exam, and best of all she was going on a date with Pogue. For once, it would be just the two of them. Astaire, quite literally, was jumping for joy._

_She put the key in the door to her room, an enormous smile on her face._

_**He holds her in his arms**_

_**Would you? Would you?**_

_**He tells her of his charms**_

_**Would you? Would you?**_

_Hearing the ringtone, she hastily pulled her out of her bag._

"_Hey!"_

"_Hey, Air."_

_Astaire almost melted on the spot at hearing Pogue say her nickname. He was the only one who called her that, and the way he said it…she inwardly sighed. It was perfect. He was perfect._

" _What's up, Pogue?"_

" _Just called to hi and that I'll pick you up at eight. That ok?"_

" _Sure. I should just wear the usual, right?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Jeans it is."_

"_Just jeans?"_

_She laughed. "Pogue Parry! Keep your thoughts out of the gutter!"_

_He laughed as well._

"_Well, I suppose you could put on a shirt…"_

"_Goodbye Pogue," she said, trying not to crack up again._

"_Bye. Love you."_

"_Love you too."_

_Clicking her phone shut, she turned the key in the door and pushed it open. Walking in, she threw her bag down carelessly and immediately began getting ready for her date. It may seem like a casual affair to an outsider, but jeans meant that Pogue was taking her somewhere on his beloved bike. And a motorcycle ride on a date like this meant somewhere private and romantic._

_At 7:56, Astaire was ready getting ready. She had taken a shower, put on the perfect outfit, and done her hair the way Pogue liked it. It was the way it was naturally, in loose corkscrew curls. She called it frizzy, Pogue called it beautiful. She wore no makeup save lip balm. She didn't feel the need to try around Pogue. She, blissfully, just was. And he loved her for it._

_Hearing a knock on her door, she quickly ran over and threw it open, a megawatt smile on her face. However, the smile promptly slipped off when she saw that the person at the door was not Pogue. Not even bothering to ask what her visitor was doing here, she tried to shut the door. But in anticipation to her move, he had stuck his foot in the way._

"_Mind if I come in?"_

_Chad breezed into the room as if he had been there a thousand times. His face held a cocky grin as he turned around and looked at Astaire._

"_You look hot. Big date?"_

_Shuddering visibly, she pointed a finger towards the still open door._

"_Yes. So get out."_

_Sensing her fear, he smiled wider._

" _Not anymore you don't."_

_He pulled her farther into the room and shut the door. Smirking, he grabbed her and held her to him._

" _You'll be missing your date with biker boy. I have different plans for you in mind."_

_Realizing what was about to happen, Astaire opened her mouth to scream. But Chad pushed his mouth onto hers roughly before she could get a sound out._

_He pushed her against the wall, running his hands over her and bruising her lips. She raised her hands and tried to push him off, but it was no use. He was stronger than her, thanks to his participation on the swim team. Astaire wanted to cry. But she couldn't…she was much to petrified to do anything. She was in hell._

"_You know you want this," Chad whispered, running a hand down her side. 'Just give in."_

"_Get off me!" She lifted her leg to knee him in the groin. Just in time, he leaned his bottom half back._

"_Ooh, feisty. What a turn-on." He pushed against her provocatively and began kissing her again._

_Right then, the door to her room opened. A very stunned and angry Pogue stood in the doorway, one hand balled in a fist and another clenching his bike helmet._

"_I can't believe this!"_

_Chad backed away from Astaire, a sadistic smile on his face._

" _See ya later, babe," he threw to Astaire. He walked past Pogue with a smug smile, purposely hitting his shoulder. Pogue didn't even look at him as he went, only flinching when his shoulder was hit. His eyes were on Astaire._

_Seeing his anger and hurt, she tried to explain._

"_It's not what you think."_

"_Isn't that what they always say?" he spat with venom. " Why should I believe you?"_

_She started to cry, feeling hopelessly overwhelmed and upset._

"_Because I'm your girlfriend and I love you."_

_Pogue shook his head angrily, turning and shutting the door. He didn't want this conversation to be heard by the entire hall._

"_Right. You love me. That's why you cheated on me." He said sarcastically, coming closer to Astaire. " I can't believe you! How in the hell did you think you could do this? Why would you do this?" He was in her face now, leaning in. " God…you let that asshole touch you and looking at you right now almost makes me sick. I guess all those times you told me I was the only guy you loved you were lying. You've probably let way more guys than Chad kiss you and put their hands freaking everywhere."_

_Astaire's despair suddenly turned into anger. She pushed around Pogue, tears still in her eyes, and spun to face him._

" _I almost got raped tonight you insecure idiot! I almost got raped! Here I am trying to fight Chad off, thinking 'I wish Pogue would hurry up and get here so he can help me.' And when my knight in shining armor appears, what does he do? He starts screaming at me! He starts acting like a royal jackass! He doesn't lift a finger to help me! Instead he starts accusing me." Pogue's eyes were wide and pitch black, but even though she noticed, she didn't stop. In fact, she got angrier, and objects in the room started to shake as her eyes turned green." You always talk about having trust in each other Pogue! What happened to that? Does in only work in theory? Because the one time I need you to trust me you completely jump to conclusions. You don't even let me explain myself! You just skip right to basically calling me a slut! Where the hell do you get off, Pogue? After all the times I put trust in you---trusting that all those girls who come around you and grab your arm and kiss you on the cheek and give you their number are truly nothing to you---you judge me! For all I know, you could be hooking up with a different girl on the nights I don't see you! Or on all those out of town swim meets!"_

'_Don't you dare turn this around on me!" he shouted._

_Pogue's anger reached its peak and all of a sudden a huge energy ball went flying towards Astaire. At the same time, all of Astaire's emotions had caused her powers to work overtime and every object in the room broke, sending shards everywhere, as a huge wave of telekinetic energy went surging through the room and towards Pogue. Both teens were thrown backwards, and hit the wall with a sickening thud. And both lay unconscious, bleeding, and heartbroken on the floor._

_The first thing Astaire remembered waking up to was a small, empty hospital room. Her body ached and it hurt immensely to move. She remembered what had happened with Pogue, and she started to cry, her whole body wracking with sobs. The pain from doing so caused her cry even harder. She pressed frantically on the nurse's button, tears running down her face and leaving sticky tracks on her face._

_A middle-aged nurse came running in and upped the morphine. Astaire began to calm down as the pain lessened, becoming still and quiet_

"_I'm sorry for pressing the button," she told the nurse softly, " I know it wasn't a real emergency."_

_The nurse smiled comfortingly down at her, patting her hand. " Don't be sorry."_

_Astaire nodded, then looked around the room._

" _Where are my parents?"_

"_On their way here. They had gone out of town, but they caught a flight back."_

" _Thank you."_

"_No problem. Rest now."_

_Astaire nodded once again, closing her eyes. Sleeping was better than dealing with everything._

_Two days later, Astaire went to see Pogue in his hospital room. Weak and shaking, she was limping horribly. She was practically forcing herself to keep going. She didn't really feel any better, but she needed to talk to Pogue. She walked into his room without knocking. She didn't have the energy._

_Pogue was sitting up, the television remote in his steady hand. The color was back in his face, and he looked healthy. When Astaire walked into the room, he turned to look at her then looked back at the TV screen._

"_What do you want/?" he asked coldly._

_Trying to ignore his tone, she said calmly, "I just want to talk."_

_He laughed humorlessly, shaking his head._

" _There's no way I'm talking to you."_

"_Please."_

_He turned to look at her again, holding her gaze this time._

"_I can't talk to you. Honestly, looking at you makes me sick. It makes me angry. I can't handle it, and I don't want to deal with it. You can try to convince me that I didn't see what I thought I saw that night, but the truth is I can't believe you. I don't know if I can trust you anymore. I loved you, and I'm not sure if I can again."_

_Silent tears threatened to run down Astaire's face as he spoke. His words hit her like bricks, and she felt even more ill than she had before. But she walked out of his room with as much composure as she could muster. She made it to the corner before she sunk to the floor in sobs._

_A week later, Astaire went home. She hadn't talked to Pogue since that day, and the rest of the boys had visited her only once. It was tense and uncomfortable, for they were also mad at her, but they were also upset that she was injured and in pain. That visit was the last she saw of them, and she was glad. It would make her departure for L.A. so much easier._

_A couple of days after her arrival back home, Astaire and her father flew to California._

_Pogue, soon after Astaire left, had figured out the truth behind what happened that awful night. Chad actually told him, smugly, that Astaire hadn't wanted it and that Pogue had screwed up the relationship for nothing. Pogue had never felt more depressed in his entire life. For the first time since he was little, he cried._

* * *

"I'm sorry, Astaire." Pogue said, standing stock-still in front of her. " I made a mistake. I didn't trust you, and I realized my error way too late. I lost you. You left, and I didn't hear from you for more than a year. It killed me. I missed more than a year's worth of your smiles, your laugh, and your touch all because I was a stupid kid who was too immature to look at things rationally. So I'm sorry. For everything." 

Astaire nodded silently. She was crying, and she couldn't help it. She had held in for tears for Pogue for so long.

"I wanted to call you so many times and try to explain, but I figured you wouldn't care. So I gave up. I missed you terribly the entire time I was away. I could remember every little thing about you, and it drove me crazy. For a while, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I had to force myself to concentrate on something else. And eventually, because I tried so hard to stop thinking of you, I did. I tricked myself into forgetting. But everything came rushing back the moment I saw you again." She took a deep breath looking up at him. "I don't know how I feel, Pogue. Maybe I still love you. Maybe a part of me hates you for all the pain you caused me. I don't know. I don't even know if we can be friends again. Do you think we can?"

Pogue nodded, looking down at the floor.

"Yeah, I do. Because there's no way we can stay apart."

Then, after staring at her one last time, he walked out the door.


	5. Bombshells Aren't Just Blonde

Hey all! So, this chapter has a little bit of sexual innuendos and such. No lemon-like content though, I assure you. I go back to school soon, so updates might not be as often, but I'll try to post at least two more chapters before then. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Covenant or any of the characters. I do, however, own Astaire and the other OC's, as well as the plot.

* * *

When Astaire arrived at school the next day, she was slightly surprised to find Reid and Tyler waiting for her at the entrance.

"What's up, guys?"

Reid shrugged, sticking a gloved hand in his pocket.

"We thought we'd walk you to class."

Laughing slightly, Astaire looked at Reid in amusement.

"You're going to walk me to class?"

Reid scowled. " Yeah. So?"

" Well, for starters, this is probably the first time you've ever walked a girl to class. This is going to be a historic moment. 'Reid Garwin acts courteous.'"

" Whatever," he scoffed dismissively. " Besides, I can be a perfect gentleman when I want to."

" Yeah right." Tyler said, chuckling a bit. Annoyed, Reid glared at him to shut him up. After glaring back Tyler just shook his head and walked inside.

" And," Astaire continued, ignoring the glaring contest that had just transpired, " I wasn't sure if you were still mad at me."

The blonde's eyes softened a bit as he slung an arm over her shoulder.

" Nah…what's in the past is in the past," he said, regaining his careless attitude. "Besides, you must have been suffering from Reid withdrawal in L.A. That's punishment enough." With a smirk he grabbed her bookbag out of her hands and slung it over a shoulder. " C'mon, let's get to class. I wanna get comfy so I can go right to sleep."

"Typical."

" Well, things haven't changed that much."

Astaire laughed, linking arms with him. She was happy that things were back to normal with her and Reid. Because despite his apparent need to be a badass, he truly was a great guy. She loved him for it, no matter how much she teased him.

"Hey 'Staire? Guess what?"

"What?"

"This gentleman thing isn't that bad. I think chicks actually get turned on by this stuff. I'm scoring major babe points."

Astaire smiled. Yep, typical.

* * *

When Pogue saw Astaire and Reid walk in, arm in arm, he wasn't quite sure what to think. The way they were laughing and the fact that they looked so comfortable together would convince any onlooker that they were way more than friends. But that wasn't the case…right?

"Stop seeing things that aren't there," Caleb chided him gently. " They aren't romantically interested in one another."

Pogue nodded a little, thinking about it.

"Yeah, but they _look_ like they're going out…"

Caleb shrugged. " They act affectionate to a degree. Like brother and sister. That's how their relationship works." Caleb paused, putting down his pen. " Speaking of relationships, have you sorted stuff out with Kate? Sarah said you needed to talk to her, but have you gotten the chance?"

Pogue sighed. "Yeah, we broke up this morning." At Caleb's shocked expression, he added, " We've been over for a while. Somebody just needed to say the words."

Caleb patted him on the back.

"Unfortunately, we all knew that. It just seemed you and Kate didn't want to admit it. I'm just surprised _you_ broke up with _her_."

Pogue looked at his friend in confusion.

" Why?"

" Because I thought that with Astaire coming back you'd stay with Kate. I didn't think you'd want anyone saying you broke up with Kate because of Astaire."

The longhaired boy exhaled loudly. " I didn't even think about that. But I really don't care at this point."

"Did you talk to her?"

" Yeah, I told you. I talked to Kate this morning."

" No, not Kate. Astaire."

"Ahh…"

Pogue thought back on he and Astaire's conversation. He was trying to gauge how much he wanted to tell Caleb.

" It went well. I think we're going to be friends now."

Caleb nodded. "Just friends?"

"Just friends," Pogue confirmed. " For now. But who knows?" Finished with sharing, Pogue pulled his Ipod out of his bag and put the earphones in. Finally relaxing a bit, he closed his eyes.

As soon as Pogue closed his eyes, a grin spread across Caleb's face. Pogue still had feelings for Astaire, just like he suspected. It was only a matter of time before he acted on them.

The bell rang signaling the start of class. Astaire rose from where she was sitting next to Reid as the chair's assigned occupant neared. She scanned the room for an empty seat, praying there was one next to someone decent. There was. Pogue seemed to have no one sitting on his left. Rushing up the stairs quickly, she slid smoothly into the seat.

_This could be awkward, but it's better than sitting next to Kira. _

"Mind if I sit here?" she asked Pogue amiably.

"Nah," he answered with a small smile. " It's fine."

Astaire nodded, saying thank you. Pogue seemed a little unsure around her, even though he had smiled. He wasn't sure how to act towards her just yet, even though the unbearable tension that was present the day before had vanished. She couldn't blame him; she felt the same way. They were testing the waters, seeing if the "friends" thing could work.

The professor started her lesson, writing equations and problems on the board. Astaire was quickly taking notes, writing down everything. Math was not her easiest subject. She did well, but she really had to try.

Pogue, unbeknownst to everyone but his friends, was extremely good at math, so he only wrote down what was strictly necessary. He used the spare time when he wasn't writing to look at Astaire out of the corner of his eye. Pogue, in the past, had always found it amusing to watch her during math class. She would sigh in frustration when the teacher went to fast, or smile brightly when she understood the material without having to ask a question. The way her eyebrows rose when the professor asked them to solve a long problem had always brought a grin to Pogue's face.

So when she started doing of that now, he smiled a little at the familiarity of the sight. He had missed this, and it made him happy to see all her quirks again after so long. Pogue was so happy in fact, that he didn't notice that Caleb had caught him staring. A note was tossed into his lap discreetly and Pogue looked over at his brother questioningly before opening it.

**You know, even though you're acing math, you should probably pay attention. She'll eventually notice that your eyes are boring a hole into her face.**

_They were not…I was only looking at her for a second._

**Sure you were. That's why the last step you've taking notes for is three when we're currently on step seven.**

Pogue hurriedly looked up at the board to see Caleb was right. Avoiding Caleb's teasing expression, he started writing furiously. He had time to decipher his now-sloppy handwriting later. Right now, he just had to get the notes down.

* * *

Astaire sighed in relief as her last class before lunch ended. She was starving, and in the mood for a Club sandwich and fries. She quickly exited the classroom and headed towards the dining hall. She was grateful that she didn't have to wait for the Sons, seeing as she didn't have that class with them. Boys could be such slowpokes sometimes.

Waltzing into the dining hall, she joined the food line. After she got her food, she moved to the side of the room. She belatedly realized that she had no clue where her friends sat at lunch. And sitting with random people didn't appeal to her at the moment.

_Maybe I got here too quickly…_

" Yo, Astaire!"

Astaire looked over by the windows, and saw Reid sit down at a table with the rest of the boys. He was waving her over with his left hand, the other hand wrapped around a burger. As she moved towards the table, he took a huge bite while he sat down. Reid then flashed her a grin, his cheeks puffed out a tad because of the enormous wad of food.

" Here you guys are," Astaire said, slipping into the seat next to Reid. Spotting Sarah, she smiled brightly. "Hi! I haven't had a chance to talk to you much yet."

Sarah nodded, her expression mirroring Astaire's. " Yeah, but we'll definitely get to know each other. After all, it'll be nice to have another girl to hang out with. Sometimes all the testosterone is a little overwhelming."

Astaire laughed. " That is true."

Caleb was observing the scene between his best female friend and his girlfriend. He was happy to see that they were getting along. It was obvious they were going to be fast friends. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

" Hey Pogue, where's Kate?"

Caleb glanced at Reid wearily.

_Or not._

Pogue, who was about to eat a handful of chips, paused. He had forgotten that he had yet to tell Reid, or Tyler for that matter, the news.

"We broke up. I ended it this morning."

Tyler stared at Pogue in shock over his Coke can. Of all the explanations he has expecting Pogue to give, it wasn't that. Reid however just shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"About damn time."

"Reid!" Sarah scolded. " That's so mean!"

"No it's not. It's the truth. I mean, c'mon. You of all people knew that the shit was going to hit the fan. You're her roommate."

Astaire's eyebrows rose. Sarah was Kate's roommate? That was an unexpected twist to the story. Had she known that Pogue was going to break up with Kate?

Pogue rolled his eyes in response to Reid's comment.

"The shit didn't hit the fan. It wasn't a big argument."

Reid looked surprised, but didn't add anything else. He just went back to eating. Astaire looked concernedly at Pogue, who was no staring pensively at his sub sandwich.

"I'm fine," Pogue said, sensing her eyes and looking at her. " It hurts a little, but I'm ok."

She bit her lip, not sure whether to argue with him or just let it go. She opted in the end to let it slide.

"Alright. I'm sorry things didn't work out between you two."

Pogue paused for a second, choosing his words.

"I'm not really worried about it. If something's meant to be, it'll be. No matter what mistakes the two have made."

His eyes were slightly intense as he looked at her. She didn't miss it, and she began to wonder if he was implying what she thought he was. A spark passed between the two as they stared at each other.

" Hey Pogue." a female voice said flirtatiously.

Pogue looked slowly away from Astaire and at the girl standing behind her.

" Hi Diana."

Everyone at the table turned to look at her. She was tall, with long red hair that was pulled into a messy up do. Her uniform shirt was unbuttoned to the point where major cleavage was showing, and her skirt was hiked up so high it almost showed her underwear. Reid thought she looked hot. Astaire thought she looked like a stripper.

Diana smiled sultrily and sashayed her way over to sit on the table right in front of Pogue.

" I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your breakup," she said, not sounding sorry at all, " And I just wanted to give you this to cheer you up."

She slowly and sensually lifted his hand off the table and into her lap. Then she pulled a pen out of her hair, causing it all to come cascading down in shiny waves. Writing her phone number on his hand, she leaned forward, her chest brushing his.

" I just wanted to give you my cell number. It's changed since our last little interlude," she whispered. With that, she got up and sauntered back to her table, purposely swaying her hips as she went.

" What was _that_ all about?" Sarah asked, distaste in her voice. " I hate to be mean, but that girl looks like she should be standing on a street corner."

Reid looked back at Diana hungrily.

" I agree. I'd definitely pay for her services."

Astaire frowned in disgust.

" Put your eyes back in your head, you pervert."

Surreptitiously, she glanced at Pogue, who was looking anywhere but at her. Astaire looked at Caleb for an explanation, but he shook his head, conveying that if she wanted answers, she'd have to ask Pogue.

"That was strange," said Tyler, "I can't believe she came over here. She hasn't actually said anything to you since you guys st---"

" Not now, Baby Boy." Caleb said, cutting him off. Tyler looked confused at Caleb's interruption. Then following Caleb's pointed gaze, he looked from Pogue to Astaire and back again. He turned an even shade of crimson.

"Whoops…"

The bell rang loudly, shaking the group out of the awkward silence.

"Where to next?" Sarah asked Astaire, relieved that she had a question to ask.

" Psychology."

Sarah beamed. " I have that class too. Let's go."

Saying bye to the guys, they hurried out of the room. Sarah was practically dragging Astaire away. As soon as they were in the hallway, Sarah stopped and looked at Astaire.

"I know we don't know each other very well yet, but if I asked you a question, would you tell me the truth?"

Astaire looked confused, but answered anyway.

" Of course."

" You and Pogue were more than friends, weren't you?"

The darker girl blinked, looking bewildered.

" Where did that question come from?"

" You didn't answer my question," Sarah said gently.

Astaire bit her lip. She didn't know why she was so reluctant to tell Sarah. It's not like she was ashamed of having gone out with Pogue, or that she thought Sarah was going to tease her. Sighing, she gave an answer.

" Yes, Pogue and I were more than friends before I left."

Sarah nodded.

"Now everything makes more sense. Caleb had told me yesterday that you were all just childhood friends, but that didn't explain the tension between you and Pogue yesterday. Even though you two didn't saw anything to each other, I could feel the anxiety roll off you two like waves."

Astaire looked at her, amazed.

" You picked all that up from the two seconds you spent around the both of us yesterday?"

Sarah shrugged.

" It was obvious…at least to me."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Astaire laughed. Now it was Sarah's turn to look bewildered.

" What's so funny?"

Gasping for air, Astaire tried to explain.

" I'm sorry! This is just such a classic movie moment. And I'm just so anxious about everything…and I laugh sometimes when I get anxious. I'm sorry!" She was still cracking up and she was holding her stomach with one arm.

After a moment, Sarah started to laugh as well.

" This is just too weird!"

_BRRINNG!_

Both girls immediately stopped laughing at the sound of the bell. With one look at each other, they tore off running down the hall. They were definitely going to be late for class.

* * *

Sitting in Chemistry, Pogue was mortified. The incident with Diana at lunch was playing on repeat in his mind, and he felt nauseous. It wouldn't have been a big deal if Astaire hadn't been sitting right across from him. And then when Tyler had almost spilled everything? Oh man…this day started out fine, but it was really starting to suck.

" Dude, you should have known she was going to come into the picture again," Reid whispered, swishing around the lab chemicals they had been given. " She thinks she has dibs on you or something. Did you ever see the way she glared at Kate? Pure icicles, man."

Pogue tried futilely to concentrate on his assignment, as he whispered back, "No shit, Sherlock. But I didn't expect her to do _that_."

"What? Come up looking like walking sex?"

Pogue shook his head, swallowing.

" No, come up and act like we about to _have_ sex."

Reid laughed humorlessly.

" Well, it wouldn't be the first time you guys hooked up. You two did do the deed a few times that summer after sophomore year."

" And I regret it." Pogue said seriously, setting up the Bunsen burner. " I'd take it back if I could."

" Only because you realized just now that one day Astaire's going to find out, and you feel like crap about it."

Pogue didn't argue, because that was part of it. Instead he asked Reid a question.

" Are you going to tell her?"

Reid looked at Pogue seriously, and then rolled his ice blue eyes.

" No, you dumbass. That's your business to share." When Pogue looked slightly relieved, Reid added, " But I suggest you tell her soon, before she finds out from someone else. You don't want her to think that it was more than it was. It would suck if she thought it was actually about feelings."

Pogue paled. He hadn't even thought about it that way. What if Astaire thought that he had loved Diana? He hadn't wanted her to think that he was the kind of guy that just got involved for physical reasons; however, that was better than having her think he had ever possessed deep feelings for Diana.

"I'll tell her later today," he told Reid as he stuck the harmless chemicals over the burner. They quickly bubbled up and shot out of the container with a bang, shooting solution everywhere. Pogue stood frozen staring at the mess, not even moving to clean it up as he thought:

_Or this is exactly what's going to happen between Astaire and me._

* * *

Copyright and such... thinkmusic13 


	6. Speedos, Sobs, and Saying Sorry

Hey everybody! So, this is the sixth chapter (obviously) and I will warn you that it has references to sex...nothing lemon-ish, so you can relax. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Covenant. I do own Astaire and the story plot and such.

_

* * *

_

_Splash!_

Astaire turned her head to the right just in time to see Pogue dive into the pool to warm-up before the meet. His body moved powerfully and lithely through the water, just like she remembered. She glanced at the record wall. He also still held the record, just like she remembered. That probably made him extremely happy.

Astaire personally wasn't a big fan of swimming in pools. The ocean? Sure, she was up for that. But a pool with that overwhelming chlorine smell and potentially grimy tiles? No thanks. She was perfectly content to sit in the stands. She headed over to the seats, spotting Sarah. She was sitting near the end of the middle row of the bleachers.

" Hey," she greeted Sarah, taking off her uniform jacket. " It's really hot in here." She wiped her hair off her face.

" Yeah, it's really stuffy in here today for some reason…but I guess we'll just have to grin and bear it." Sarah had taken off her Mary Jane's and knee socks and traded them for a pair of navy flip-flops. She wiggled her toes. " I can't wait for the meet to start. I love watching them swim, and win I guess. Though sometimes I'm not sure if they use their powers or not."

Astaire, who had been about to sit down, missed the end of the row completely and fell flat on her butt on the cold floor. She was much too in shock to wince at her now aching tailbone. Sarah rushed over, concerned.

"You okay? What happened?"

Astaire nodded, still looking at Sarah in surprise.

"You know?"

Sarah stared at her with a confused expression.

" Uh-huh. You didn't know I knew?"

Astaire shook her head, getting up. " No, I had no clue." She fixed her skirt and brushed off the back. " But now I know. I just didn't expect them to tell anyone." Astaire laughed slightly, grimacing. " But I would have preferred I found out when I was standing somewhere a little less hard. I think I bruised my tailbone."

Sarah gasped, putting her hand on Astaire's arm. " Do you need me to take you to the nurse? Oh my god! I forgot that you're a dancer…are you still going to be able to dance? I'm so sorry! I just thought you knew!"

Astaire laughed openly now, sitting down and gently pulling the blonde haired girl down next to her. She found Sarah's panic touching, but also hilarious and unnecessary.

" I'm fine. Calm down, please. It's not your fault I have cartoon character-esque reactions to unexpected news."

Sarah sighed, relaxing. " Okay. But you'll be fine, right?"

"Yes."

"Good."

After a second or so of comfortable silence, Astaire opened her mouth to speak. However, her mood was slightly less jovial than before.

"I guess since you know the Sons' secret, it would only make sense to tell you mine."

Sarah turned her head to look at her new friend. She looked purely intrigued instead of frightened, and it encouraged Astaire to continue.

" I have powers too."

Sarah raised her eyebrows.

" Are they exactly like the boys'? Are you part of the Ipswich legend too?"

Astaire shook her head.

"I'm mainly telekinetic. I can only move things with my mind. I can't form energy spheres or anything. Unlike with the guys, I can't really do everything. I don't Ascend, but my powers do mature. When thy do, I have to be able to handle it, or else I could end up brain dead."

Sarah sat for a moment, taking it all in. She had suspected something was different about Astaire. In Sarah's mind, it was only natural for there to be. Astaire had known the Sons since birth and she obviously knew all about the Covenant. But what Sarah didn't know yet was why Astaire was so close to the boys in the first place. And what did she mean when she said her power was "mainly" telekinesis?

" What's your other power?" Sarah asked curiously, "You said your power was 'mainly' telekinesis. Does that mean there's something else?"

Astaire nodded, trying to conceal her surprise. She hadn't expected Sarah to pay that close attention to her phrasing.

" I can also stop time…or at least pause it for a while. I haven't completely mastered it yet. Plus, the guys don't know about it. I've only been able to do it for the past year."

Sarah nodded, tucking a blond piece of hair behind her ear.

" I guess you don't want me to tell them, right?"

Astaire looked away for a moment before turning back to her friend. It was a hard question to answer. The Sons had a right to know, of course, they were still her friends. But, something just told her it would be a big hassle if she did. Be loyal to friends or avoid a hassle? Astaire sighed. The choice was obvious.

"No, I don't want you to tell them," she said slowly, "Because I'm going to tell them tonight."

Caleb's girlfriend looked relieved, and let out a huge breath.

" Good," Sarah burst out, " Because I'm really bad at keeping secrets from Caleb. Keeping secrets _for_ him, I'm good at. But withholding them is a lot harder."

Astaire chuckled, pulling out a notebook.

" I understand. Besides, I'm glad you don't keep secrets from Caleb. It means you two have an honest and open relationship. You guys are perfect for each other."

Sarah smiled, blushing slightly, and muttered a small "thank you."

Seemingly satisfied with what had just transpired, Astaire turned her attention down to the notebook in her lap. It was time to start her English essay. Taking a pencil out of the pocket of her uniform jacket, she began to read the prompt:

**In a concise four-page essay, write about your opinion on this topic: ****Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all****? Support your opinion with details from various texts we have studied in the past.**

Astaire sighed when she finished reading, placing her thin fingers on her forehead.

_Talk about a loaded question…_

She looked up to see Pogue leaning casually against the wall as he took a break before the meet. His towel hung around his shoulders, catching the water dripping from his hair. Astaire couldn't help but notice how insanely muscular he was, how sexy he looked just standing there. He was, after all, wearing nothing but a tiny Speedo. Pogue stretched all of a sudden, unintentionally drawing attention to not only his perfect arms, but also his toned stomach. Astaire sucked in a small breath, suddenly feeling a little taken away. He was like a perfect sculpture…an Adonis in a swimsuit. There was no argument that the boy was stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeous.

He turned all of a sudden in her direction, scanning the stands. His eyes met hers questioningly, and she looked down at her notebook quickly. There was no denying the physical attraction she felt, but she was still a little embarrassed.

_Thank god I don't blush._

She looked up a few seconds later to see Sarah staring at her with a Cheshire cat grin.

" See something you like?" she asked, a laugh in her voice.

Astaire felt like a kid who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Nervously pushing her hair back, she shook her head.

" I've no idea what you mean. I was just…umm…"

"Staring starry-eyed at a certain Mr. Parry? Yeah, I noticed."

The brown-skinned girl sighed in defeat, throwing her hands up.

"I can't help it."

Sarah smiled softly looking between Astaire and Pogue.

"Maybe your feelings for him aren't as past-tense as you thought."

Astaire shrugged nonchalantly, but not without a bit of sadness in her eyes.

"He just broke up with Kate. The fact that he was even with her in the first place meant he was over me. Besides, rumor has it that they have a tumultuous relationship anyway. They'll be back together soon enough." She started to do her homework, trying to drop the subject.

Sarah noticed Astaire's forced preoccupation and decided not to take the hint. She shook her head in disagreement to the statement.

"Nope. It's safe to say that they're over for good. They don't fit together. It's safe to say his mind is on someone else. He _is_ looking right at you, and I think he's checking you out."

Astaire slowly raised her head to see that Pogue was, indeed, staring at her. He smiled a little and waved, playing off his ogling carelessly. She waved back, flashing him a grin of her own through her surprise.

_Hmm…curiouser and curiouser._

* * *

Pogue stared at Astaire a few seconds longer. He didn't know that she was going to come. He was glad she did, albeit now he was going to be a little distracted. The smile she had given him had given him a confidence boost, but it had also made him feel a little lightheaded. Pogue couldn't pretend that she didn't affect him. He just had to figure out what to do about it. 

_Nothing for now, I guess. Too soon and too unsure._

"Hey! Pogue!"

He looked to his right to see Reid coming towards him. The blonde had a towel covering his hair and was soaking wet. Mentally slapping himself, Pogue realised belatedly that Reid had already practiced. The actual meet was about to start.

_Time flies when you're checking out your ex-girlfriend. _

Reid clapped Pogue on the shoulder and grinned smugly. He had absolutely dominated during his practice run and was more than eager to actually win.

"Ready to kick some ass?"

Pogue laughed, pulling on his swim cap. As soon as it snapped into place, he felt his confidence reach its peak. He was completely ready to lose himself in the moment and show the opponent why he was the best.

" Yeah, man. Always."

Doing their handshake, the boys glared tauntingly at their rivals. Nobody said the Sons of Ipswich weren't competitive.

* * *

Two hours later, the gang was at Nicky's. For once, they all sat and ate together, laughing about some mishaps at the meet. 

" Did you see when that pretty boy got tangled up in the lane divider? I swear to God I thought that sucker was going to strangle himself!" Reid took a few French fries and put them in his mouth. " I mean, I almost _drowned_ I was laughing so hard."

Astaire raised an eyebrow playfully.

" I find that highly unlikely. You didn't even know what happened until after you had already won."

Reid leaned back and grinned. "Well if you want to get all technical about it, go ahead. He was still caught in the thing when I climbed out the pool anyway."

Sarah shook her head. "But that wasn't as funny as the announcer belching his way through the entire second race."

Tyler raised his glass high, chuckling. " I second that. That was friggin' hilarious."

Caleb nodded in agreement. " That was by far the most interesting swim meet we've ever had."

" Hear, hear." Pogue said, taking a sip of his Coke. He was happy with the way things were going tonight. Everybody seemed to be in a good mood, especially Astaire. He figured that it was because she was just glad to be home. Unfortunately, Pogue still had to tell her about Diana. He knew he had to tell her now, before he backed out. Maybe her great demeanor would help her take the news better. Pogue took a deep breath. "Hey Astaire, can I talk to you?"

She looked at him in confusion before nodding and following him out the back of the bar. He looked a little tense, and she didn't know if it had anything to do with her. Pulling her jacket tighter, she stopped behind him as he stood idly in the middle of the alley.

"What's up? You look a little stressed."

He turned around and looked at her. He seemed to be searching her face for something.

" I'm not stressed, just nervous. I have to tell you something and I'm not quite sure how you'll take it. But I want us to still be…friends after I tell you this."

Astaire smiled a little, shrugging a shoulder.

"I'm sure we will. It can't be that bad."

Pogue took a tentative step closer to her and looked her right in the eyes. She didn't know how wrong she was.

" The summer of the year you left, I went to Boston with my dad to help him check on a patient. I figured that since I was considering being a doctor I should spend some time observing my old man. When we got to the guy's manor, I saw that his niece was in town, and staying at the estate. His niece was Diana, the girl from lunch today." Pogue sighed and ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself to continue. " I recognized her immediately from school, 'cause Reid was always flirting with her. But I didn't really pay that much attention to her. She wasn't my type. She was too flashy and too flirty. I pretty much stayed away from her. But then, her uncle's condition got worse, and my dad had to take him to some special hospital in New York. So it was just she and I at the house. One day, I was just about to leave to go get my bike checked when I heard her calling me from the house. She sounded a little upset, so I ran in to check on her." Pogue took a deep breath, knowing he was reaching the awful apex of the story.

" But when I got there, she wasn't in trouble or anything. She was lying on her bed with barely anything on and she was waving me towards her. I was so distracted that I actually came to her. When I got there, she just pulled me down onto the bed and started kissing me. At first, I wanted to pull away, but then I thought, ' Why? You're lonely, and she's offering. So what? It's not going to go any further than this.' But it did. Before I knew it, we were really getting into it and one thing lead to another. We ended up sleeping together." Pogue chuckled humorlessly, still looking at Astaire even though he desperately wanted to turn away. " I thought it was a one time thing, but every time from then on that she offered, I said yes, like a fucking idiot. I was so damn lonely that I didn't care. I wasn't over you, and she was…filler. She was just there."

Astaire stood there, looking right back at him, holding his gaze with her own. He looked ashamed and upset, and it pained her to see him that way. She reached out and touched his arm comfortingly, but she was at a loss on what to say. A part of her understood why he was telling her this. She knew that he wanted to tell her before she found out from somebody else, probably Diana. Astaire appreciated that he told her.

However, she also regretted hearing this. It was bad enough knowing that he had dated Kate. Now she had to hear that he had sex with some other girl? Astaire had always thought that…never mind. It didn't matter. She wasn't involved with Pogue anymore. She shouldn't be that upset over this. All she had to do was convince herself that it wasn't a big deal. That she didn't feel like she had just been hit with a ton of bricks. She was actress, damn it. Hiding her emotions when she wanted to was _supposed_ to be easy.

Pogue watched all the different emotions flit across Astaire's face. He could tell that she was trying very hard not to take it personally, not to get upset. But Pogue could see it wasn't working. Astaire always wore her heart on her sleeve, much like he did, and her real emotions were winning over the ones she was trying to show. So Pogue did the only thing he could think of: he hugged her.

As soon as her body met his, she began to cry. The tears were cascading down her face as she clung onto Pogue for dear life. She wasn't mad at him. She knew she should've been, but she wasn't. Astaire knew that common sense dictated that she push him away, but she couldn't. She just wanted him to keep holding her.

Pogue felt her body shudder with sobs, and he held her tighter. He rested his chin on her head and stroked her hair.

" I'm sorry," he whispered, almost crying himself, " I'm so sorry."

Astaire sniffled and nodded barely, keeping her head on his chest. Then she uttered three words that made him hold onto her all the more:

" I forgive you."

* * *

Pogue and Astaire walked back into Nicky's a little while later, after she had calmed down a bit. Avoiding the cocerned and inquisitive looks of their friends, they both sat down at the table. Astaire decided to change the subject with some news of her own. 

_Why the hell not? The night's full of surprises all around._

" I have something to confess," she stated, looking around at the boys. " I haven't been completely honest with you about my powers."

They looked at her, confused.

"About a year ago, I found out that I could stop time."

To say they looked shocked would have been an understatement. Taking advantage of their stunned silence, she began to explain.

" I was just in class one day feeling extremely hurried, and I found myself wishing that I could just stop time so I could just relax for a few seconds. And that's what happened. Everything around me stopped. Everyone stopped moving, stopped talking, stopped breathing…it was creepy. For a while, I had no clue what was going on. It was like being caught in a dream. After a while, another teacher came in and figured out what had happened, and she reversed it. Turns out I had only stopped time in that one classroom. Ever since then, I've been trying to learn more about this new power, but I try not to use it too much. Sometimes, though, I accidentally stop time when I feel really stressed like I did that one day."

Caleb was the first one to respond. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly.

"Well, _that's_ definitely interesting."

Suddenly, Reid burst out laughing, clutching his sides with his signature fingerless gloves. Tyler soon followed after, unable to hold it in. Then, the whole table was laughing, having been spurred on by the first two. They weren't sure what was so funny, but laughing sure beat sitting around in the gloom like they had been doing previously. Astaire raised an eyebrow in slight amusement.

"That wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting."

" Always expect the unexpected." Reid managed to choke out through his minor hysteria.

Pogue looked down, no longer cracking up but thinking about Reid's words. Then he looked straight at Astaire, a small smile finding its way onto his face.

"Yeah," he said absentmindedly, agreeing with Reid, "That sounds right." Because he had been granted the one thing from Astaire that he never thought he'd get, and that he knew he didn't fully deserve: forgiveness.

* * *

Copyright info...I own this...blah blah blah 


	7. Dying Dreams and Driving Cars

Hi all! So sorry it took so long to update but school's made for a hectic schedule! Hope you enjoy. Feel free to review, and thanks to all of you who have done so already!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the _Covenant_, and I don't own the song "Masquerade" ( Andrew llyod Webber does). But I do own Astaire.

Note: In the first part of the chapter. **bold ** thoughts and **bold** song lyrics. Then in the rest of the story, thoughts are just _italicized_

_

* * *

_

_Astaire spun around, showing off her red party dress. She smiled as she looked at Sarah inquisitively._

_The blonde grinned, looking her friend over. Astaire was definitely a knockout._

_" Fantastic. Pogue's gonna have a heart attack."_

_Astaire laughed. She turned to the mirror again and fingered her dress._

_"Perfect."_

_The two girls left the room and stopped at the top of the stairs. Astaire loved these steps. A girl could really make a grand entrance. Descending down the staircase slowly and gracefully, Astaire's eyes searched out one person's. When her eyes met his, she smiled even wider._

_His eyes stared lovingly into hers before looking at her attire. Pogue's jaw dropped a bit as he pulled on his jacket lapels. Astaire walked over and gently pushed his jaw up, giving him a kiss. When she pulled away, he smiled and took her arm._

_"You look beautiful, Air."_

_She pulled him closer._

_"Thank you. You look amazing yourself."_

_"Thanks."_

_The couple made their way into the dining room of the Parry mansion, followed by all of their friends. Everyone was decked out in their best for Pogue's early birthday dinner. The atmosphere was light and happy as they all sat down. Pogue sat at the head of the table and Astaire on his left._

_Mrs. Parry stood up and raised her wine glass in the air, preparing for a toast. Her eyes were misty, but she didn't shed a tear. Instead, she smiled widely as she watched her son peck his girlfriend on the cheek._

_" Well," she started off, looking around, "it's been almost eighteen years. Eighteen long, joyous years of having the best son I could have asked for." She looked lovingly at the teenager in question. "Lord knows you kept me on my feet, between all the daredevil stunts and motorcycle injuries, but I wouldn't change that for the world. Happy eighteenth birthday, honey. Love you." The woman then paused, smiling softly. "To Pogue!"_

_"To Pogue!" They all echoed raising their glasses._

_After taking a sip of her water, Astaire looked over at her boyfriend and smiled. His face was bright and his grin couldn't be bigger. She laid her hand over his and he turned to look at her with light in his eyes. If he was happy tonight, then she was happy._

_Three hours later, she walked into the kitchen holding the drink glasses._

_"Just put them down, sweetie. I'll get to them later," Mrs. Parry said. She turned away from the oven to smile at Astaire._

_Astaire looked briefly into the oven after returning the smile. She put down the glasses._

_"Cookies?"_

_Mrs. Parry nodded. " Cookies are always a good way to end a celebration."_

_CRASH!_

_The darker girl turned, looking at the floor. A single glass, her glass in fact, had fallen to the floor, spilling water everywhere. The water spread quickly, covering the entire kitchen floor._

_**The entire floor? That doesn't make sense…**_

_Astaire turned towards Mrs. Parry, but the woman wasn't there anymore. The water was now up to Astaire's ankles. She ran to the swinging kitchen door, pushing against it. It didn't budge, and the water had reached her knees. Astaire's confusion began to turn into fear._

_"Pogue! Pogue, help me!"_

_She slammed against the door frantically. Nothing happened, except that the water kept rising…_

_"Pogue! Guys! Anyone! Help!"_

_Astaire looked around for another exit. Seeing the windows, she grabbed a trashcan and threw it desperately against the glass. The metal trashcan hit the window then fell uselessly to the floor. The glass didn't even crack._

_**Masquerade.**_

_**Paper faces on parade**_

_**Masquerade** _

_**Hide your face so the world will never find you.**_

_Astaire looked around for the source of the music. The soft melody seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere, taunting her. The water continued to rise. It was to her shoulders now and she raised an eyebrow slowly._

_**Pool water?**_

_The chlorinated smell snaked its way up her nostrils and into her mouth. She coughed violently, gasping for breath. She couldn't seem to take in any air. Astaire felt like she was going to asphyxiate, and against her better judgment she began to panic._

_The water had reached her mouth now. She tilted her head back trying to get a deep breath. It was no use. Soon the water encased her completely. Astaire kicked her legs, trying to swim upwards. She had to get out._

"_It's no use."_

_Astaire froze. The male voice was chillingly carefree, almost childlike in its glee._

_Who is that?_

"_I'll never tell," he singsonged with a devilish smirk._

_Astaire was terrified. She frantically put her hands to her throat, almost out of air. Her lean body went limp and her eyelids fluttered. She could feel death. She could taste it in the monstrous amount of water crushing her. This was the end._

_**Masquerade**_

_**Leering satyrs, peering eyes**_

_**Masquerade**_

_**Run and hide but a face will still pursue you.**_

"_Things aren't always what they seem."_

_With a final crescendo to the music, Astaire's eyelids fell shut. But she could swear she had heard that man's voice before._

* * *

Astaire woke with a start. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was shaking all over. She sighed and pulled her hair out of its tie.

_Some dream…_

She had no clue what her nightmare was about, but she knew it couldn't be something good. Her instinct screamed at her that something awful was about to happen. She rubbed her bare arms, suddenly cold.

Astaire found herself wishing that for once her instincts were wrong. Now was the worst possible time for something to go wrong, considering Pogue's ascension was at the end of the month and her own birthday a few days after that. This month, if ever, was not the opportune time for a conflict.

**Ding Dong.**

Raising her eyebrows, Astaire slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants. After grabbing a zip-up hoodie (she doubted whoever was at the door wanted to see her bra-less) she went downstairs to the door. She looked through the peephole quickly. Pulling back, she rolled her eyes and opened the door.

"Hello boys."

Caleb smiled and held out a cup of coffee.

"Hey. We brought you your favorite, White Chocolate Mocha."

Smiling gratefully, she took the cup.

"Thanks. Come in guys."

Caleb and Tyler breezed past her with easy smiles. Reid pushed her lightly on the shoulder and messed up her hair. She scowled slightly at him before starting to fix it.

"Did you just wake up?"

Pogue stared at Astaire after asking the question, looking surprised. He knew that she didn't sleep past nine on the weekends. It was now 11:35.

She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Late night…. So what's up with the surprise visit?"

Pogue knew the feeling. He'd had a rough night himself and a pretty freaky dream. Trying to forget about it, he learned against the wall and shifted his eyes to Caleb to address the purpose of their visit.

"You came up with the idea, man. You explain."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. Pogue was lying his ass off. It was Pogue who had oh-so-casually mentioned that the Sons meet up with Astaire to hang out for the day. Caleb resisted the urge to sigh. His best friend could be such a wuss sometimes when it came to Astaire. He supposed he couldn't do much better, seeing as he was the same way with Sarah, but still. It was slightly tiring. Abandoning his train of thought and smiling good-naturedly, Caleb turned to Astaire.

" We're 'bonding' today. Just hanging out."

Astaire nodded, a smile on her face. She couldn't think of a better way to spend her day, especially after having that nightmare. A fun-filled day with the guys was just what she needed.

"Okay. What's the plan?"

Deciding to speak, Pogue pushed off the wall, coming to stand next to Astaire. However, he kept a very cautious space between them. Not sure of how they had left things off the night before, he opted not to invade her personal bubble. He wasn't sure if she had forgiven him that much.

"We're going to that new diner on the outskirts of town. Nifty Fifties." He said, switching his bike helmet from hand to hand. " Then we're going to watch movies at Caleb's house."

" And," Reid continued, "Since you've been MIA for a while, you get first movie pick."

Astaire smiled devilishly and crossed her arms. If she wanted to, she could make the boys suffer for an hour or two through the movie of her choice. Hmm…decisions decisions.

"First movie pick?" she said, her eyes alight with humor, "Well, you know what that means."

The boys noticeably cringed as they exchanged glances. Here came one of the consequences of being best friends with a girl.

"Chick flick." They groaned, trying not to glare at her. Maybe if they looked like the prospect of sitting through some sappy movie was only _slightly_ horrifying, they would only get a _slightly_ sappy movie. It was a long shot, but it was all they had.

Astaire's grin grew as she watched the pained expressions of the boys in front of her. It was so typical of them to assume she would pick a chick flick. Little did they know she had no intention of torturing them later. But _now_ was a different issue, so she decided to keep them in the dark.

"Guess you'll have to wait and see. Bring your tissues boys!" She laughed at Reid, who looked like he wanted to take that movie and stick it where the sun don't shine. " Cheer up, Reid." She said, ruffling his hair. " Now, let me go upstairs and get ready. You guys just chill here for awhile."

" Yeah, a long while." Reid quipped, pulling his black beanie out of his pocket and pulling it over his hair. 'It takes girls forever to get ready."

Astaire paused at her position on the steps and slowly took a sip of her coffee. Swallowing, she looked at Reid.

"You wanna bet?"

Reid smirked in delight.

" Fifty bucks. Forty-five minutes or less."

"Deal."

"And you have to look like you always do. No looking like crap."

Now it was Astaire's turn to smirk. The picture of confidence, she leaned nonchalantly on the stair banister.

"Darling, I couldn't look bad if I tried."

With that, she turned and gracefully continued up the stairs, oblivious to Caleb and Tyler's amused grins, Pogue's intense staring, and Reid's smug grin.

"Start the clock, oh-fearless-leader," Reid drawled to Caleb, slipping his hands into his pockets with careless confidence, "I've got fifty bucks to win."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Pogue and Reid were racing each other in some car game on Astaire's PS3.

" Dude, I'm gonna win," Reid gloated, his fingers nimbly pressing buttons. "Cars are _my_ thing."

Pogue scoffed, never taking his eyes off the screen. Reid could be so cocky, and even after knowing him forever, it still amazed Pogue how big the blonde's head was.

"Whatever," Pogue said, narrowing his eyes as he focused. " That's why you don't have one."

Caleb chuckled at his friend's antics as he texted Sarah on his phone. He wanted to tell his girlfriend that it was a " Sons & 'Staire" day that was meant to make up for lost time. Caleb smiled, knowing that Sarah would practically die of happiness at the sheer thought of the five of them rebuilding their friendship.

Turning back towards the battling boys, the eldest smiled.

"He's got a point man," he told Reid, siding with Pogue. Why Reid lacked a car was beyond him when the boy obviously loved to drive.

"Shut up Caleb," Reid grumbled, his button-pressing becoming more vicious, " Besides Pogue, when's the last time I saw you drive a car?"

The longhaired teen shook his head in disbelief. Reid of all people should have understood Pogue's love for speed extended to cars too.

" I have three cars, moron. Do you really think I don't drive them?"

Reid shrugged.

"It would be smart to. But we both know what I think about your intellect."

"Shove it."

The blonde smirked smugly. Once again his wit had gone unmatched.

"I win."

With a final jerk of his hands, Pogue sent Reid's car crashing as his own crossed the finish line. The victory screen flashed on the television, the colors hitting the two boy's faces: Pogue's smile and Reid's slack-jawed expression.

"Nope," Pogue replied, putting down the controller in satisfaction. "I win"

Reid dropped his controller with the attitude of a sore loser.

"Pure luck man, that's it."

As Pogue laughed, Reid rose and walked over to the youngest son.

"What're you doing, Baby Boy?"

Tyler took a sip of his water then pointed at the wall.

"Looking at pictures."

The blonde turned to the photographs, his blue eyes taking them in. Some he'd seen, some he hadn't.

"I wonder who this guy is."

Hearing this, Pogue and Caleb migrated over. Pogue looked more than a little curious, but a tiny bit hurt as well. It was irrational, but he felt upset at the idea that she had a boyfriend in L.A…. that she could've fallen in love with someone else. Pogue ran a hand through his hair agitatedly and tried to pass it off as something less telling of his feelings. He felt like such a hypocrite.

He looked at the picture intently, staring at a section at a time. Astaire was laughing, her hair natural and curly as she looked happily at the camera. It looked like she was at the beach. The sky was unbelievably blue, and a red surfboard visible in the background complemented it. It looked like a scene out of a movie. Reluctantly, Pogue turned his eyes to the Y-chromosome in the picture. He wasn't smiling at the camera, not really. It looked more like he was smirking playfully, and his gray eyes were fixed on Astaire. His tanned brown arms were holding her legs as she sat on his back. Donned in a black and red wetsuit, it was obvious the red surfboard was his. Pogue narrowed his eyes at the apparent closeness this dude shared with his ex.

_Where Jaws when you need him? _

"They look pretty comfy," Reid remarked casually, " I would definitely say that's the boyfriend."

Tyler looked at Pogue's slightly pissed off expression and decided to disagree for his friend's sake.

"They're probably just friends. She doesn't look like she's romantically attracted to him."

Caleb nodded in agreement, also trying to placate Pogue. He didn't even have to look at the biker to know he was upset. The emotions were rolling off Pogue in waves. Usually, Caleb would tell Pogue what he was really thinking—in this case that Astaire and the guy did, in fact, look "comfy"—but that didn't seem like the best option at the present time. The eldest son decided that for once, honesty was not the best policy, and that it would be wiser to just tell Pogue what he needed to hear before he accidentally blew up the townhouse.

" He's most likely just a brother figure," Caleb commented with a shrug.

Reid snorted, crossing his arms.

"Yeah right. He's looking at her with sex eyes."

Caleb glared at Reid.

"You have no tact."

"Who has no tact?"

All the boys except Pogue turned to look at Astaire. Pogue still faced the picture, staring at it with a mixture of emotions on his face.

" Reid has no tact," Tyler said, answering Astaire. "Which is why the next question he asks you will be blunt, to the point, and none of his business."

"Is that guy in that picture your California boyfriend?" Reid asked, jerking his thumb towards the photograph.

Astaire's eyes moved towards said picture. Suddenly, she laughed.

" No, of course not. That's just Dice, a friend of mine from my school in L.A."

Reid raised his eyebrows, surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's just a friend. Not my type at all."

Hearing Astaire's words, Pogue felt much better. When he was certain that his face showed no signs of his previous emotional dilemma, he turned towards Astaire. But what he saw made him drop his polished helmet to the ground with a thud. Because in front of him, there stood Astaire, looking exactly as she had in a dream he'd had the previous night…a dream in which he'd found her dead in the woods.

* * *

I'll try to update soon, but no guarantees. You can check out the character pics on my profile - thinkmusic13 


	8. Drama at Diner and Danvers'

Hello everybody! Sorry it took so long for an update. School is brutal. But, to make up for the lack of update-age, here's an extra long chapter for you. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN THE COVENANT! EVERYONE KNOWS THIS

* * *

Pogue desperately wanted to close his eyes and make it all go away. He wanted to be able to say that the gorgeous, amazing girl in front of him was not possibly going to die later. But he would've been lying to himself, because there was a distinct possibility that she wasn't going to be breathing by the end of the day. Covenant dreams were practically prophetic, and Pogue wished for once that his dreams weren't like a freakin' magic eight ball.

Pogue tried to calm himself down as he felt the power rise within him. He was pretty sure his eyes were black behind the now-closed lids. It scared him a little how much he wanted to use nowadays. It was almost like he was turning into Reid. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, hoping they were the normal hazel.

" Are you okay?"

He shifted his eyes to Astaire. Giving her a lazy smile that masked his true turmoil, he squeezed her shoulder as he walked past her.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Turning to him, Astaire shook her head a little and looked into his eyes. Her brown orbs were full of intensity, and Pogue felt like she was looking right through him.

"Liar," she said softly, confirming Pogue's suspicions. He didn't answer, holding her gaze for only a second before looking behind her at his brothers.

"You guys ready or what?"

Reid grinned and walked towards the door.

"I'm driving," he said casually. As he sauntered out the door, he swung a set of keys around his finger, the silver Hummer logo catching the light.

Tyler's mouth dropped open as he glared at the blonde's retreating form.

"Dude, it's _my_ car!"

His only answer was the roar of the Hummer starting.

* * *

"Black. Lace."

"Pink. Silk."

"Personally, I say orange g-string."

All the boys turned and looked at Astaire. She shrugged, sipping her mocha milkshake.

"What? The girl looks more than a little kinky."

Reid burst out laughing, almost spewing onion ring bits on Caleb, who threw him a disgusted look. Tyler's eyes were anywhere but on Astaire as his face turned slightly red. Pogue sat back relaxed, not shocked in the slightest, but marginally amused at the boys' reactions.

"She used to say stuff like that all the time," the biker said, gulping down some Coke. " I don't know why you guys are so surprised."

Reid chuckled a bit more then leaned forward and smirked at the girl across from him.

"Who said anything about surprise? All I wanna know is just how kinky _she_ is, since she seems to know something about it."

Astaire smiled seductively and crossed her legs under the table, purposefully running her foot tantalizingly down Reid's leg.

"You can't even imagine."

Letting out a breath, Reid leaned back again and crossed his arms.

"Vixen."

She laughed, her eyes full of humor.

"Always," she joked.

Pogue looked at her from her left, silently agreeing with her. He was suddenly lost in memories of the two of them together…some of them very PG-13. But instead of smiling devilishly as Reid would've had they been Reid's recollections, Pogue just wistfully thought of the past.

Things were royally screwed up now compared to then, especially with Astaire's maybe-imminent death weighing on his mind. He didn't know what to do about it, but he definitely didn't want to do nothing. Frustrated, he clenched his fists under the table.

"Pogue."

He blinked. Astaire was staring at him in concern, much like she had done earlier that day at her house.

"What?" he asked. He tried to focus on unclenching his fists to shake away his negative thoughts. It wasn't working.

"The waitress wanted to know if you wanted more Coke."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah," he responded absentmindedly to the waitress, "Thanks."

"No prob," the waitress answered politely before walking off.

Pogue sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

" You're not okay," Astaire said, her eyes roaming over his face. She placed one of her hands over his now-loose fists under the table.

He finally straightened out his fingers before holding her hand tightly. The warmth he found there was as comforting as it was a reminder of his fears.

"I want to tell you what's up," he started, coming clean, " but I don't want to ruin the mood."

Astaire raised a brow.

"Well, me worrying about you can ruin the mood too."

Pogue nodded.

"You're right…but lets not talk about it here." He turned to his brothers, trying to cover up the anxiety he was feeling. He knew his face was usually and open book to his emotions, but he didn't want them asking questions before he talked to Astaire privately. "Hey guys, Astaire and I are gonna go to the payphone for a sec."

Before the Sons could protest, Astaire had already slid out of the booth, hands still intertwined with Pogue's as she lightly pulled him out of the booth as well. The two teens made their way over to the payphone in a secluded alcove of the diner.

"Okay Pogue," Astaire said softly, taking his other hand in hers, "Out with it."

Pogue glanced briefly at their intertwined hands before fixating his attention on the floor.

"Last night, I had a dream. You were in it…" he trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, what'd I say?" Astaire asked, raising his chin so that his eyes met hers. " I must have said something pretty awful if it's wigged you out like this."

As soon as he looked into her warm eyes, Pogue couldn't downplay his emotions anymore. His handsome features were wracked with worry and fear. It was startling to see on so strong a person.

"It's more of what you didn't say," he answered, subconsciously grasping her hands more tightly. " You didn't say anything because you were dead."

Astaire sucked in a breath, remembering her own dream. She pulled her hands out of Pogue's slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. She suddenly felt extremely cold, as if someone had sucked all the warmth out of the atmosphere.

"How?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer. "How did I die?"

"I don't know," he answered, running his fingers through his hair. "There was just you, on the ground with a lot of blood on your shirt. Your eyes were blank…everything that is usually in them was missing. There was no spark or anything."

She shifted uncomfortably while putting her hands in the pockets of her jeans. Pogue's information didn't coincide with her nightmare.

"I had a dream last night too," she confessed, " I, um, died in that dream as well. Except, I drowned at your eighteenth birthday dinner. A glass of water fell in the kitchen, but somehow there was water filling the entire room. And it was pool water."

"You hate the pool," Pogue said, crossing his muscular arms. " I can't even imagine you walking near the edge of the pool."

Astaire smiled a little, mostly to alleviate some of the tension.

"Hey, I was at the meet the other day, wasn't I?"

Pogue smiled as well.

" Yeah, you were." He threw his arm casually around her shoulder, trying to subtly make up for the loss of contact. "Thanks for that, by the way."

She shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance.

"Well, y'know. No big deal." After a moment or two of silence, Astaire shook her head and slid down to the floor, suddenly serious again. " These dreams though, they are a big deal." She looked up at a still standing Pogue. "Regardless, I don't want you to tell the guys yet."

Pogue stared at her in disbelief and confusion.

"Why not? We'll have a better chance of protecting you if all of us know what's going on."

Astaire sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. As logical as she knew Pogue's words were, they just made her more firm in her decision.

"I don't want to be a damsel in distress. This isn't an old black-and-white movie Pogue. I just want to have a normal day. A calm, normal day with my friends where I don't have to worry about my impending death."

Pogue's eyes narrowed in sudden agitation. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up before clutching her shoulders.

"That's such bullshit and you know it."

"Excuse me?" she inquired archly.

" Today, Astaire!" Pogue almost screamed, trying and failing to keep his temper in check. "In my dream, you die today! You don't… _We_ don't have time to brush this off! We have to do something. Now!"

Astaire telekinetically lifted Pogue's hands from her shoulders, her eyes stubborn behind their vivid green hue.

"Let me show you why I don't want to tell them," she explained in frustration. " There's a reason why I won't ruin today."

Then, with a wave of her hand, everything stopped. Pogue's eyes widened as he surveyed the unmoving waiters and waitresses, the customers whose forks were stopped halfway to their mouths, and how the money was literally frozen in midair as it slipped from the cashier's hand to the register.

Astaire grabbed Pogue's hand and pulled him along, striding somewhat angrily past the statuesque inhabitants of the diner. She stopped at a familiar table, jerking the biker to a stop.

"Look at them!" Astaire ordered. "See how happy they are?"

Pogue shifted his eyes to his friends, taking in the sight. Caleb was smiling, a content, genuine smile, as he looked at his two brothers. Tyler was turned around in his seat, talking to a pretty girl with wavy navy blue hair. She was laughing happily at something he said, and Tyler looked like for once, he felt like someone other than Baby Boy. Reid, like always, was being mischievous. He seemed to be engaged in a straw wrapper war with a boy in the booth behind Caleb. The straw was between his lips, and the paper wrapper projectile was already en route.

Pogue stared at Astaire, his hazel eyes burning into her dark brown ones.

"They're happy now, but they won't be later when they find out you've kept something from them. Especially something that could happen to you today."

Astaire nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know. But it's my decision to make."

Pogue leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead, his eyes slightly sad.

" Same as always. So damn noble…" He slid into the booth beside an unmoving Caleb before gazing up at her again. "Just promise you won't leave me."

Although not sure what he meant exactly, Astaire nodded anyway. She fought the urge to touch her forehead as Pogue beckoned for her to sit. Her forehead was warm where he'd kissed her, and though thoughts of her impending demise weren't completely off her mind, they has taken a backseat to her musings over her flustered feelings about Pogue. Astaire leaned into him, after she sat down, craving contact and comfort. She felt safe in Pogue's arms, even though it wasn't technically her rightful place anymore.

"So we should probably get things moving again," Pogue suggested, breaking her out of her thoughts. " I'm sure Tyler wants to finish his conversation with that girl." He laughed a bit. "I wonder how he started talking to her in the first place."

Astaire nodded, agreeing with him. With a blink, her eyes became green.

"The shift back might feel a little weird," she informed him, "like being on a roller coaster."

He looked down at her, holding her gaze. " Don't worry. I'm here for the ride."

She looked away, breaking their eye contact and the moment. After taking a deep breath and concentrating, she began to start time again.

The straw wrapper Reid had been shooting flew right towards Astaire. She deflected it with a lazy flick of her hand, not even bothering to use her telepathic powers. Reid frowned in confusion.

"When'd you get here?" he asked, putting the straw into his drink. Six straws were now poking out of the thick vanilla shake.

"Been here," Pogue answered, picking the last onion ring off of Reid's plate. He grimaced at the lukewarm temperature before continuing. "Guess time just flew by for you."

After hearing this, Caleb quirked a brow. His chocolate eyes were suspicious.

"I'm pretty sure that's not exactly what happened. Is it Astaire?"

The brown skinned girl smiled, shrugging lightly.

"Guess not."

Reid looked perplexed for a moment longer before his mouth dropped open in realization. A slight expression of angry disappointment came over his face.

"I can't believe you stopped time and left me freakin' frozen while you and Pogue walked around. If you weren't a girl, I'd hit you."

Pogue scowled at Reid.

"You'd better not if you don't want to end up being crushed to a pulp."

The blonde rolled his crystal blue eyes, obviously not threatened. His mood shifted yet again, and he was already getting over his anger. Carelessly, he put his hands behind his head and scanned the diner for attractive girls.

" Relax man," he told Pogue in an offhand manner as he winked at a passing brunette. " I said if she _wasn't_ a girl. Besides, if she was a dude, you wouldn't be interested in her." Reid turned back to the table, a smirk on his face. " That is, unless you're keeping a secret from all of us."

Pogue didn't even dignify that with a response. Meanwhile, Caleb fought the urge to sigh at Reid's antics and settled on asking Astaire a question.

"So have you mastered that particular power? I assume that's why you used it."

Astaire scoffed as she flicked a piece of hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah right," she told the eldest son, turning to face him. " I just used it to make a point."

"To Pogue?"

"Yes."

Caleb's eyes narrowed a little. Something wasn't right.

"What about?"

Astaire held his gaze, quirking an eyebrow like he had before. She was almost daring Caleb to ask her more questions.

"Nothing in particular."

The eldest shrugged, still suspicious, but letting the issue drop for the moment. Pogue shot Caleb an "I'll tell you later" look that pacified the latter.

"She probably just froze everything so the two of them could go at it," Reid drawled.

Tyler, who had finished his conversation with the girl and exchanged numbers, turned around to the table, only catching the last part of the sentence.

"Who's going at it?"

Reid smirked. He lazily moved his index finger between Pogue and Astaire.

"Our own Romeo and Juliet."

The youngest rolled his eyes.

" I doubt you even know the whole story of Romeo and Juliet," he told his friend. "In case you didn't know, they both died at the end. Obviously, both Astaire and Pogue are still here."

Astaire shifted a bit in her seat as Pogue's arm tightened a little around her. It didn't go unnoticed by Caleb. However, he said nothing about it as he turned to address the group.

"You guys ready to go? I guess we need to pick up Astaire's movie choice. I don't own any chick flicks."

Groaning dramatically, Reid pulled on his black beanie. He rolled his eyes.

"What's the poison this time? I swear if there's some chick in it dying of cancer I'm gonna friggin' hurt somebody."

Putting on her jacket and preparing to leave, Astaire shot Reid a look.

"Well, because of that disgustingly insensitive comment, you'll just have to wait and see what movie I picked. And trust me Caleb," she added to the eldest, " I'm sure you'll have it." After wrapping her scarf around her neck and smiling mischievously at everyone but Reid, she walked off to the exit.

"What'd I do?" Reid asked as he too bundled up for the brisk weather outside.

Sighing, Pogue fixed the collar of his leather jacket as he moved to follow Astaire.

" Nobody likes a jackass Reid."

* * *

"_The Matrix_?!"

Reid's shock couldn't have been more pronounced. Astaire smirked as she took the movie out of the case and went over to the DVD player.

" I'm just full of surprises."

She placed the movie in the player, pushing the slot closed gingerly. Turning towards the boys, she smiled.

"Anybody want popcorn? I feel like being Doris Day today."

The boys all nodded, looking grateful. After looking around at all of them, Astaire nodded in confirmation and headed to the kitchen.

Standing in the center of the large, glistening cooking area, she looked around ponderingly.

_I definitely should've asked where the popcorn was._

"Glad to see you've found the kitchen."

Astaire turned to see Pogue grinning at her. Sticking her tongue out childishly, she moved to the cabinets. She placed a hand on one of the handles hesitantly.

"The kitchen is in the same place. I found it just fine. Now, finding the popcorn is another story."

Pogue's smile widened as he moved behind Astaire and reached for the cabinet above her head. His hand closed over hers as he pulled the cabinet open.

"It's right here," he whispered in her ear.

Astaire closed her eyes at the sound of his voice.

_Oh. My. __God_

His voice sent shivers down her spine and made her want to melt. And he was so close… he had to be doing this on purpose. Grabbing a bag of popcorn, she willed herself to move towards the microwave. These random moments of intimacy with Pogue left her discombobulated.

"So did you only come in to see if I found the kitchen?" she asked, trying to sound normal.

"No. I wanted to talk."

Astaire paused for a second as she opened the microwave door and put the popcorn in.

"About what?"

"Us."

She closed the door with a startled bang.

"_What?!_"

Pogue moved closer to Astaire, but didn't touch her. She was thankful. She was going to need her senses about her if she and Pogue were going to have this conversation. The boy in question looked neither nervous nor anxious, but instead appeared determined and passionate.

"I'm still in love with you," he told her in a sure, steady voice. "And you're in love with me too."

Astaire's mouth dropped open. She was pretty sure she looked like an unattractive mix between a deer in the headlights and a fish out of water.

"Say something," Pogue said, his voice unshaken and, if anything, commanding.

Flustered but trying to hide it, Astaire turned back to the microwave so Pogue couldn't see her face. She pressed the 'popcorn' button as she spoke.

"How can you be so sure of your feelings? How can you be so sure of mine? I've only been back for three days, Pogue."

He sighed as if he was exasperated by her answer.

" I just know. It's just something I feel. It feels right. Way more right than me and Kate did." He moved a little closer as she turned around. " We should be together again."

Astaire sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She thought about Pogue's declaration carefully before responding.

" We're meant for each other. I can't deny that. But I don't think we should be together again. Not yet. I just got back, and you just broke up with Kate. Besides, I don't want us to get together just because you think I'm going to die. I want it to be because it feels natural."

Pogue looked frustrated. His eyebrows were knit together slightly as he put his hands on Astaire's shoulders.

"You don't understand."

She looked at the boy in front of her. He was staring at her intently, his eyes boring into hers, looking for the answer he wanted.

" You love me," Pogue said after a moment.

Astaire didn't even have to think about her answer.

"Yes."

"You believe me when I say that I love you."

"Yes."

Pogue sighed, confused. His hands dropped off her shoulders.

"But you still don't want to be with me?" he asked imploringly. His deep voice conveyed the intensity of his feelings for her and his need for them to have a relationship again. These unspoken ideas were not lost on Astaire, and she felt touched, but a little part of her also felt anxious. The raw passion in his voice threatened to overwhelm her, and she felt like it was only a matter of time before she became lost in his emotions. It was unsettling to feel his love so strongly after missing it for so long. Most of all, it startled her to realize that she was more in love with him then ever.

Slowly, she reached up and touched his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment, laying his hand on hers and keeping it in its place. Astaire loved the feel of his hand on hers and she smiled a little as he opened his eyes. They stood in silence for a few seconds before she finally found what she wanted to say.

"I love you so much," she began, fighting to keep her voice steady, " and I don't think I ever stopped, not even when I was away. I'm pretty sure I love you more now than I did when we were sixteen. But that's why I don't want to rush things. I don't want our relationship to suffer because we tried to just…dive into it. Yes, we love each other, but that's not enough to keep us together. I don't want us to separate because we were too impatient to wait for the inevitable. We _will_ be together, Pogue. We just have to give it time."

Pogue stood looking at her, understanding. It made sense. But Pogue Parry tended to think with his heart instead of his head. And he was okay with doing that just now.

"I get it," he said, "But all your logical reasoning won't stop me from doing this."

He pulled her body closer and kissed her, his huge hands gripping her waist. It wasn't a soft kiss. It was powerful, passionate…just like him.

Succumbing to the indescribable feeling of his lips on hers, she started to kiss him back. Smiling against her lips at her response, Pogue lifted her onto the countertop behind her. Their mouths moved expertly together, and her arms wrapped around his neck. The microwave went off, but she was completely lost in the moment. All of her feelings for Pogue were evident in her actions.

Pogue's lips moved to her neck, and his hands drifted up to her shoulders.

"Didn't you miss this?" he whispered. "God, the _heat_…" he continued his work on her neck and she gasped. She was pretty sure he gave her a hickey. He was always possessive like that. Soem things never changed.

" I missed you," she said somewhat breathlessly. " But I suppose _this_ is a nice bonus for coming home." He chuckled and she could feel it on her skin. She pulled his face up to hers, connecting her lips to his. After a few moments, she pulled away and smiled. "Well Mr. Parry, it seems you've rendered my argument useless."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her off the counter into him.

"Good."

"AHHH!!!"

The two teenagers snapped their heads to the window, looking frantically outside.

"Somebody's in trouble," Astaire said hurriedly, pulling away from Pogue and moving closer to the glass. The scream came again, louder this time as if it were closer. It was full of pure terror and scared Astaire to no end. But she also felt the need to save the person, who sounded as if she were a young girl.

"Maybe it's nothing," Pogue said, grabbing Astaire and trying to pull her farther from the noise. "Or if it's anything, I'll take care of it." The longhaired teen was trying to keep his head clear as his eyes searched for the source of the yell. He hoped it was nothing, that whatever this problem was, it wasn't going to end in tragedy. His nightmare flashed through his mind. He had to keep Astaire from leaving the manor.

Suddenly, a thirteen-year-old girl ran into their line of vision outside the window. She looked terrified beyond belief as she ran into the dense forest area on the Danvers' property. As the girl dashed into what she thought was safety, Astaire saw the source of the preteen's terror. A monstrous being was chasing after the girl. It looked suspiciously like a darkling, but it was much too large and undefined. It didn't matter anyways what the thing was…Astaire was going to have to stop it in order to save the girl. Without another word, Astaire pulled herself out of Pogue's grip and raced out of the room.

"Astaire stop!" Pogue yelled. He sprinted to the exit of the kitchen, only to be held from leaving by some sort of invisible force.

_Astaire._

His eyes turned ebony as he tried to destroy the barrier. In the distance, the front door of the manor slammed. "Shit!" he cursed, willing himself to put more power into his efforts. A few seconds later, the barrier fell and Pogue dashed to the front door. He didn't have time to gather the rest of the Covenant…at least, not physically. He sent out a telepathic call for help.

_Astaire's in trouble. Get to the forest behind the house. Now!_

Throwing open the heavy door as if it were made of nothing, Pogue ran towards where the girl had disappeared, knowing that Astaire would've followed her. He entered the dense group of trees frantically, his eyes searching. It was just beginning to turn dark, the sun setting ominously over the trees.

"Astaire! Astaire!" He shouted over and over again, screaming himself hoarse. Pogue didn't care. He just had to find her.

"What's going on Pogue?"

Pogue whirled to find his brothers behind him, worried looks cemented on their faces. Caleb was the one who had spoken, his deep voice commanding in order to mask his fear. It was clear that while Caleb didn't know exactly what was happening, he knew it had to do with what Pogue and Astaire weren't telling him earlier, and he was pissed. However, Pogue didn't have time to explain.

"Find her!" he ordered the other three, hands clenched into fists and black eyes flashing. "She's in here somewhere! Find her before she gets hurt!"

Pogue spun around and started running, staying alert for any sign of Astaire. He heard the other boys behind him, but didn't bother to turn around and look at them.

"Pogue, be careful," Caleb warned. "There's something in here with an enormous amount of dark energy."

The biker wasn't listening. He was too concentrated on trying to locate the girl he loved.

BANG!

Pogue spun to his left at the sound.

"Shit," Reid murmured. "That sounded like a gunshot."

The four boys tore off towards the sound, fear quickening their paces. Pogue's mind was racing, hoping and praying that Astaire wasn't…hurt. He wouldn't even allow himself to think the word "dead."

They reached a clearing, all of them skidding to a stop as they took in their surroundings. Pogue began to panic. He'd seen this clearing before.

"Oh no," Tyler whispered suddenly. "It can't be…"

There, in the middle of the clearing and highlighted by the orange glow of the fading light, was Astaire. Her white shirt was stained red with blood and her eyes were unfocused as her prone body lay awkwardly on the ground.

Pogue rushed over to her, kneeling to administer CPR. He had to try. She couldn't die like this. He pressed his lips to hers, trying to give her air. Pumping forcefully on her chest, he turned around and glared at his brothers.

"Help me!" he screamed angrily. "Help me, damn it!"

No one moved. The other Covenant members were still, save for Reid's shaking.

"Stop it Pogue." Caleb said quietly, "That's not helping."

"She's dying!" Pogue yelled. "She's dying and you're not even trying to save her you bastard!"

Caleb took a step forward slowly, and Pogue could see that the eldest son's eyes were dark as night. Caleb was trying to remain calm, that much Pogue could tell, but he was slowly losing his composure.

"I've been using to heal her ever since I saw her," Caleb said. "And so have Reid and Tyler. It's not working, Pogue. Nothing is happening."

Pogue turned his eyes back to Astaire and used his own power to try to heal her. He saw no change in her condition, so he tried again, using a little more.

"It has work. It's going to work."

He stared into Astaire's eyes, searching for a spark. He couldn't find one. All he saw was a deep nothingness, a dark abyss in her once lively eyes. Pogue choked back a sob. She was dead.

"I can't believe this happened," he whispered brokenly. "She promised she wouldn't leave me." He ran his fingers over the wound in her chest, flinching at how warm her blood was. There was so much of it…too much of it.

"C'mon, Pogue, " Tyler called softly. "We've got to go call the cops so that they can come pick up the bod--" He cringed, faltering. " So that they can…" the youngest trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Reid slowly went over to Astaire's still form, his eyes never leaving her blank ones. He kneeled by her head and trailed his pale fingers over her ashen face, pulling her eyelids shut gently. He didn't say anything as a tear ran down his cheek.

"Tsk, tsk. What's with the long faces boys? Didn't you know that someone with healing powers was on his way?"

The Covenant snapped their heads up to see a dark-skinned teenage boy striding confidently across the clearing. He was tossing two objects up and down in an outstretched palm.

Caleb's dark eyes focused sharply on the boy. He was prepared to use if need be.

"Who are you?"

The stranger had reached them, and they could all see his careless smile as he threw two red dice up in the air and caught them in his hand. His gray eyes shone brightly as he looked at each boy.

"That's right," he said with ease. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Xavier Dyson. Dice for short. Nice to meet you."

* * *

Thanks for reading! 


	9. Rolling the Dice

Hi everybody! Sorry it took me so long to update, but between school, personal crisis, and writer's block, I couldn't really get a chapter out. This chapter is short, but I'll have a new one up in a couple of days, if not hours. Hope you enjoy and thanks for the awesome reviews!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own _Covenant_ anything. I do own my OC's.

* * *

_Dice. The guy from L.A._

Pogue stared up at the boy, his body shaking and his hand placed over Astaire's cold one.

"Help her, damn it!" Pogue spat at the newcomer. "If you're a healer, then bring her back!"

Dice raised an eyebrow.

"Bring her back from what?" he asked casually, tossing the die again. She's not dead."

The Sons' eyes widened and Reid jerked violently.

"Well, not yet anyway."

"What?" the blonde exclaimed, ice blue eyes holding hope.

Dice rolled his eyes, tossed and caught the die once more, then slid them into his jeans pocket.

"She still has a life force. It's dwindling, but it's there."

"Then save her!" Pogue snapped. "What the hell are you waiting around for? I don't care what you have to do, just save her!"

Dice moved his dark gray eyes to Pogue.

"Even if I have to take some of your life force?"

There was silence for a split second. Then Pogue and Caleb spoke simultaneously.

"Yes!"

"What?"

The longhaired teen turned to look at Caleb. His face showed pain and determination as he spoke to the eldest.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring her back. You know that."

Caleb didn't answer Pogue and looked instead at Dice.

"What do you mean 'life force?' Is it going to kill him?"

Dice stared at Caleb seriously.

"So you're the leader." He pulled out the die and threw them up, suddenly glib again. "Well, don't worry boys. I don't actually need anyone's life force."

The Sons bristled, Pogue looking at Dice with hateful eyes as Reid took a step forward.

"You bastard. If you weren't going to save Astaire's life, I would kick your ass five ways from Sunday."

Dice laughed outright.

"I'm sure. Move over," he then told Pogue, waving the teen aside. "I need to hold her hand in order to do this."

After Pogue moved, Dice squatted down beside Astaire and picked up her hand.

"My my…" he whispered to her, " You seem to get yourself in the worst predicaments."

Then the healing process began. A faded green light surrounded Astaire as Dice closed his eyes. He placed the hand that wasn't in hers over her forehead. No words were said, but the look of concentration on Dice's face told the Sons it was working. Slowly, the ruined and mashed bullet began to rise out of the wound. Then, as it began to float out of the light, it fixed itself, becoming perfect before dropping to the ground. Tyler went and picked it up, pocketing it. At Reid's quizzical glance, he explained.

"If she's alright after this, we can't leave any evidence of the shooting. People can't ask questions, and you know Caleb's neighbors are middle-aged, jogging busybodies. They'll run to the police if one of their dogs finds the bullet out here while on a walk."

Suddenly, the light vanished, and Dice stepped away.

"Well?" an agitated voice asked.

Dice looked at Pogue in slight annoyance.

"Calm down, tough guy. She's going to be fine. Her body just needs to rest before she wakes up." He took out the die and tossed them. "So who's up for a trip to the Montgomery estate?"

Reid stared at the boy, arms crossed.

"She lives by herself, not at home."

"Thank you, Malfoy," the healer said amusedly as Reid scowled and tried not to pull his beanie to farther cover his golden locks. "But wouldn't you rather have someone around if she relapses?"

Pogue picked up Astaire, cradling her in his arms protectively. She was so light, so fragile. He felt he would break her just by touching her, but at the same time he never wanted to let her go. Had there been different circumstances, he would have laughed at himself for being such a chick-flick guy about things. But these were serious circumstances in which he almost lost the love of his life, so he deserved to be less than a macho man about things.

"Let's go, then," he said, sounding commanding through his worry. "We're wasting time."

The Sons of Ipswich turned towards the Danvers' Manor, Tyler wordlessly handing his keys over to Reid.

"You drive faster," Caleb explained to a confused Reid. "Go get the car ready. I'll be there in a second." Though it was said calmly, authority rang through in every word. For once, Reid simply nodded and headed off. Then, it was just Caleb and Dice in the clearing.

Dice looked at the other teen with ease. Caleb's tense posture made him smirk. The fearless leader looked like a tight-ass.

"Lucky I showed up," Dice said casually.

"Yeah. Lucky." Caleb didn't move an inch as he stared Dice down. "Your timing was…perfect." He didn't need to add the cliché "a little too perfect." It was clearly implied.

Dice raised a brow.

"Suspicious, huh?" The smirk grew at Caleb's silence. " Well, well. The plot thickens. I guess we need to find out who shot our poor damsel."

"I will."

Slipping the die in his pocket, Dice turned to go. Caleb "Stick-up-his-crack" Danvers was started to get boring.

"Good. It's bad to have a gun-wielding lunatic running around." He waved over his shoulder. "I'll leave you four golden boys to coddle her," Then, after an almost theatrical pause, "See you at school." With that, Dice walked into the trees and disappeared.

Trying to suppress his anger, Caleb stood there for a brief moment and pulled himself together. That Dice guy made his blood boil. He was aggravating, with his smug demeanor and cynicism…Caleb sighed. This was not the time to sit and stew in his dislike for a guy he just met. He had a friend to go help.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tyler knocked urgently on the door to the Montgomery estate. Pogue still held Astaire protectively in his arms as he stared at the door apprehensively.

" Can't somebody hurry up and answer the door?" he said, anxiety coming off as gruffness. " It's too cold for her to be out here!"

Caleb put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ms. Montgomery's probably on her way to the door. Just wait."

Seconds later, a confused Lyla Montgomery opened the door.

"Boys, what are you…" She trailed off, seeing her daughter in Pogue's arms. As her eyes widened, the temperature dropped to freezing levels and the doorframe the woman was standing in covered in ice. "What happened?" she demanded, her voice matching the temperature.

As Caleb explained, Reid thawed the ice. The blonde shook his head. He'd forgotten how Ms. M's powers kicked into gear when she was upset. And though usually cool, no pun intended, her freezing talents were not going to help Astaire.

Looking slightly calmer after an explanation, Ms. Montgomery ushered the boys inside and hurriedly closed the door before she started to quickly climb the stairs.

" Come. Her room is up here." She smiled a little. "Its one of the few places that stays pretty warm."

Soon the group made their way into Astaire's bedroom, a large gold and ivory colored room with an enormous bed that would help the girl rest fully. Ms. Montgomery walked over to the state-of-the-art stereo equipment in the corner and turned it on, a soft classical melody filling the room. Pogue moved swiftly and steadily over to the bed and laid Astaire down on top of the comforter.

"Should I have put her under the covers?" he asked her mother.

"No," the woman responded. "She'll be fine as she is."

Lyla Montgomery then gracefully walked over to the bed and gingerly sat down by her daughter. Her hand hovered over the girl's forehead, but did not make contact. Lyla was well aware that her temperature was several degrees below a normal person's and that the cold would not help her recuperating child.

Sensing Ms. Montgomery wanted to be alone with Astaire, the boys left silently, each casting a worried look at the form on the bed.

"Oh sweetheart," Lyla murmured. "Please get better."

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	10. Dizzy Dreams

Hey guys! I'm SO SORRY I didn't update when I said I would, but school got in the way bigtime and I had to concentrate on my studies. But school's out for summer and I hope to update more often. Please enjoy this short chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Dont own "Covenant", Panic! at the Disco songs, or Plain White T's songs.

First pt: Itlaics: Dream Bold Italics: Thoughts

Rest of it: Italics: Song lyrics

* * *

_Astaire felt funny. Strange. It was as if she had just stepped off a Tilt-a-Whirl after having too much to drink. Not that she drank, of course. Shaking her head slightly, she pushed dark brown curls away from her face. She looked around herself, not understanding where she was. All she could see were bright colors; stripes and polka dots flowed mystically on tackily shaded fabric. _

_"Delilah…"_

_Astaire turned, trying to find the voice. How did it know her middle name?_

_"Delilah…"_

_It sounded like a young girl, but it was unfamiliar. The voice seemed to be flowing out of the only defined object in sight, a somber black tent. In sprawling purple letters, the word " Fortunes" was written in loopy cursive._

_**I'm at a fair?**_

_Astaire walked toward the tent's entrance, her legs moving hesitantly, as if she were itching to run away. But she couldn't. Astaire couldn't explain it, but she needed to know what was going on._

_She pushed aside the flap of the tent and ducked inside. She instantly and instinctively wanted to take a step back, for the inside was a silver color so shiny it was blinding. Astaire narrowed her eyes against the glare, and raised a hand to shield her eyes. But something dropped from her raised fingers. It too was shiny, but it glimmered sinisterly, the tangy cooper smell burning her nose._

_**Blood?**_

_Astaire looked down and wanted to scream. She was covered in blood, her white t-shirt clinging to her slender body morbidly. It was everywhere, so abundant that she couldn't understand how she was alive if it was all her own._

_"It isn't," the girl said. She was still invisible to Astaire, her voice floating through the space like a breeze. "It's the blood of all you hold dear. This blood will be on your hands if you don't open your eyes."_

_Astaire moved her hand away from her face, letting the light hit her. It was painful; it was not a burning sensation, but rather an ache in her chest. Astaire's thoughts whizzed by erratically. What did this mean? Who was this girl? Why was this happening?_

_"Open your eyes, Delilah."_

_Astaire spun around, looking for the voice. She had to find it. She had to know what was happening._

_"Who are you?" Astaire demanded. Her panic and terror made her voice sharp, uncontrolled. She could feel the blood running down her body, warm and macabre, leaving her with a freezing sensation. "What are you telling me? Whose blood is this? Why is this happening?"_

_" Those who possess the power hunger for more. Open your eyes."_

_"What is going on?!"_

_"Open your eyes…"_

_The tent started spinning, and threw Astaire to the floor violently. She slid and hit the side of the structure, gasping and looking wildly around her. She felt like she was going to black out. Everything was moving so fast, so hectically. Was everything lost already?_

_"Not if you open your eyes."_

_And Astaire swore she saw a glimpse of the illusive girl. She was around thirteen, all corkscrew auburn hair over piercing blue eyes and slightly colored skin._

_**That girl…**_

_And then, everything went devastatingly white._

_

* * *

__Whoa-oh, the conductor is beckoning._

Astaire opened her eyes slowly, taking in her surroundings. She was in her…old bedroom? What happened? She looked down at the ivory duvet. The gold swirls covering it made her head hurt and she shifted her eyes ahead of her. What had hap--oh. She remembered. Why wasn't she in the hospital? She looked down, expecting to see a bullet hole or a scar marring her chest. There wasn't one. How was that even possible?

_Come, congregation, lets sing it like we mean it. No…_

She cocked her head listening to the music. She wondered who had been in her room and turned it on. Suddenly, she grimaced. The beat of the song suddenly began to intensify her headache. She waved a hand to turn it off.

_Hey there Delilah, I know times are getting hard—_

Astaire waved her hand forcefully in an attempt to turn it off again. This time, the stereo abruptly fell silent. Why hadn't it worked the first time? Astaire's mouth turned into a slight frown as she stared at the device. And why had it played that song?

Delilah.

The name rang through her head like a siren bell. She vividly remembered her dream; she could still hear the girl calling to her and the blood slithering down her arms like poisonous snakes. Why had the girl called her by that name?

Astaire carefully pulled her legs from under the covers and set them on the floor. It was time to get up. From the lack of people crowding her bed, she figured she'd been out for a while. Therefore, no more lazing in bed playing the invalid. There were things to be done and questions to be answered. How they would be answered was a mystery, but nothing would be accomplished by lying on her insanely comfortable mattress.

Moving quickly to her drawers, she pulled out a pair of comfy pants with a keyboard down the side and slipped them on. They were slightly more appropriate for possible company than boy brief undies. She hoped to a higher power that it had been her mother who got her ready for bed. The Octavian Heights fitted t-shirt would do. Now to look in the mirror.

Astaire frowned a little as she looked at her reflection. She looked sickly and a little pale. Her hair was a mess and there were circles under her usually vibrant eyes. Brushing and combing her hair, however, seemed to be the only immediately correctable problem, so that's what she did.

Five minutes later, she opened the door to her room and walked out into the hallway. There were pictures of her as a child everywhere, in dance costumes and jumpers, Christmas dresses and play-clothes. She sighed. Things were simpler back then. Stupid powers. Stupid Ipswich. Why did things have to get so complicated?

* * *

"What was that thing she chased after?" Tyler asked Pogue. The Sons were downstairs in the Montgomery kitchen, eating breakfast and talking about that night. That's all they had talked about since it happened. Once a friend almost dies and the threat isn't gone, topics like sports or hot girls became trivial.

"I don't know," Pogue answered, "It was huge, like a giant…thing or something. It definitely looked paranormal."

"Duh," Reid interjected, "It's not normal for a 'giant thing' to be running around after little girls."

"I mean it didn't have a human shape, jackass," Pogue snapped. "It was definitely a large animal. My best bet would be a wolf."

" A wolf? That's different. I don't remember the Book of Damnation mentioning anything about cursing people using wolves." Caleb swallowed some of his orange juice. "This makes less and less sense the more we think about it."

"Maybe this isn't strictly a 'Covenant' thing." Tyler suggested.

Three pairs of eyes looked at him with varying reactions.

"It doesn't seem relevant if it doesn't have to do with the Covenant. It's not as if Astaire can will her powers to anyone, so any power hungry person would logically go after us."

"But Baby Boy is right. The focus has been way too much on Astaire and not on us. I mean, she was having freaky dreams before you guys even got back together, right Pogue? "

The longhaired teen nodded.

"Yeah. So I guess I can see why it's not really connected to us. But still, my gut tells me it's a lot more complicated than we can guess."

And with that, the boys sat silently to worry about what would come.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed!


	11. Of House Arrest and Mall Crawls

Hey guys! Sorry for the long, long wait. I was suffering from severe writer's block and couldn't figure out which direction to take the story in. I just want to say thanks very much to everybody who has ever reviewed because you really do inspire me to keep writing. Some reviews were so sweet I was moved to tears. Critiques are appreciated too, especially on my writing style. Tell me what you like and don't like; I want to write this story well. Here's the chapter, so enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own the Covenant. What a shocker...

* * *

Astaire was not in a good mood. It was two days after she had woken up from her recuperating slumber on Sunday, and she was practically on house arrest. The boys, who she would not affectionately call _her_ boys as long as she was incensed with them, had not allowed her to leave her mother's residence, even going so far as to convince her mother she was not well enough to attend classes. It was all a lie, because Astaire was conscious and in perfect health, but the Sons were overprotective males who were guarding what they saw as the helpless party. And that, in a nutshell, was what vexed Astaire. She was not some princess who needed to be stowed away in the tower while the knights slayed the dragon. In fact, she could probably demolish said dragon, with her powers being as advanced as they were. So she decided that when the boys came to visit her later that day, she was not going to be the damsel-in-distress.

At precisely 5:30, post school and swim practice, the Sons of Ipswich walked into the Montgomery household armed with movies and candy, intending to cheer Astaire up via a movie night. They walked in with practiced ease in their step and relaxation on their faces. They were worried about things, but that didn't mean Astaire had to know that. Their alpha-male instincts screamed, "defend the female" and that's what they were going to do. Said female was probably in her room reading a book, they thought, or listening to music. The boys climbed the stairs and veered in the direction of her room. The sight they were met with, however, was not what they expected.

Astaire was dressed to kill, pulling on stiletto black boots over sheer tights. She was wearing a black cocktail dress that hugged her frame stylishly and showed off a daring amount of cleavage without taking away her mysterious aura. Both her hair and makeup were done to tempting perfection. Pogue couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she heard the door open she looked at the boys and stood up, putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going out to a party in the city. Anyone that tries to stop me gets pinned telekinetically to the wall."

Caleb glared at her, unimpressed.

"It's Tuesday."

"I'm bored."

"I don't care. You don't know anyone in the city well enough. "

Astaire walked slowly but threateningly over to the oldest member of the Covenant, stopping right in front of his face.

"You may be the leader of the Sons of Ipswich, but you don't have any lasting control over me. I have stayed in this house for two days like a good little girl and now I crave fresh air. I'm getting out of here whether you like it or not, and you can come with me or leave me alone. I'm not kidding Danvers. _Move_."

"Someone's got cabin fever…" Reid drawled. Truth be told, he was a little frightened of her, but that wasn't going to stop him from being a smartass. It was like leopards not changing their spots and all that.

"Shut up Reid," Pogue said, shooting the blonde a look before addressing his girlfriend. "Let's just go to Nicky's."

Astaire didn't even dignify Pogue's suggestion with a verbal response, just a death glare.

"Look, maybe we should pick someplace in the city that we could go that's not a random party," Tyler brainstormed. "Somewhere that's safe, but not completely routine to us like Nicky's is."

Astaire and Caleb stared at each other, fighting a silent and intense battle of wills.

"Fine," they both ground out simultaneously.

"Cool," Pogue sighed in relief. "But before we go anywhere, Astaire, you've got to change."

"Why?" she retorted stubbornly. She did not appreciate being ordered around. And it wasn't like Pogue such a fashion expert.

Pogue chuckled and looked her up and down pointedly.

"Babe, even _I'm_ checking you out with no shame. I doubt you want some random perv undressing you with his eyes."

"Too late," Tyler muttered, looking at Reid.

Astaire looked down at herself and then at the boys again. She gave them a begrudging expression.

"Okay, so maybe my outfit is a _tad_ oversexed." They stared at her disbelievingly. "What?"

Reid smirked. "Let me put it this way: I didn't know you owned stripper boots."

* * *

An hour later, the five of them stood in a mall. They hadn't really decided to go there. It was more of an "Astaire and Caleb keep arguing over where to go so we just stopped somewhere to stop the row" kind of choice.

"What now?" Reid asked.

Astaire placed her hands on the hips of her snug-fitting jeans, which were tucked into scrunch-top stiletto boots. She flicked a finger through her hair, and looked straight ahead with a smirk on her face.

"Now you four cater to my every whim and request."

Tyler blushed and Reid snickered. Pogue just smiled somewhat saucily at her.

"I didn't mean that in a sexual way," she clarified, "Though that would undoubtedly be interesting."

Caleb rolled his eyes as Pogue glowered and Reid laughed.

"Can we not discuss this? You're like my sister."

Astaire just nodded and smiled before grabbing Pogue's arm and pulling him along. "Come on. Let's mall crawl."

All she heard as she sauntered off was the hilarious sound of four teenage boys groaning in horror.

* * *

Two hours later, the group sat down at a table in the food court. The boys were exhausted. Astaire had successfully gotten each of them to buy new pieces for their wardrobe after she forced them to try on what seemed like thousands of clothing items.

"I'm usually not a girly-girl," she had said to them, smiling softly. "Let me have my fun."

And so they did. They also figured they owed her for holding her hostage at her house. Now, they were just glad it was over.

"I'm hungry." Reid grumbled, a pale hand over his stomach.

"Aren't you always?" Astaire threw at him.

"Can it, woman," Reid said playfully, albeit a tad testily.

"Hey, show respect," Pogue said to the blonde as he put an arm around Astaire. "She's my woman."

Caleb raised a brow. "Look who suddenly turned into a Neanderthal."

Astaire laughed. She was glad to be with her boys.

"All right Mr. Caveman," she told Pogue, looking up at him. " Let me go. I'm going to go get us some food."

"Need help?" Tyler asked.

"No thanks. I'll be right back."

Astaire got up and surveyed the area, considering her choices. Chinese, chicken, seafood, pizza, or burgers. Burgers it was. She could rattle off numbers and the guy would know what entrée she was talking about.

Arriving at the counter, she gave the fifteen year old at the counter a polite smile as he rattled off the customary greeting. When he was finished, she looked at the menu for a few seconds before giving the order.

"Can I please have four number two's, one number one, two number fives, and two number threes? Also can I have two Cokes, one Dr. Pepper, one Sprite, and one Mello Yello?"

The poor boy looked traumatized.

"Is t-that all?" he asked, his voice cracking. He was looking at her as if he were wondering where all the food was going to go. At her nod, he finished the transaction and handed her the change with shaking hands. "Have a good evening."

After smiling in thanks, Astaire wandered over to the pick-up section and waited for the order. She was busy thinking about nothing when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me."

Astaire turned, eyebrows raised in question. Her mouth fell open when she caught sight of who it was.

"You!"

The girl nodded, her corkscrew auburn hair bouncing.

"Yeah."

Astaire blinked, surprised at the non-cryptic answer. Then she decided it was time to get some facts.

"What are you doing here? What's your name?"

The girl from her dream didn't look surprised.

"Lily. I'm here to warn you."

"About what?"

"What's to come."

Astaire sighed. The enigmatic responses had returned.

"What's coming? If it's so important, can't you tell me?"

Lily shook her head. Her bright blue eyes looked startlingly remorseful as she looked at Astaire.

"I can't. It's against the rules."

"Against the rules of what?"

"What I'm a part of," the girl answered in a way that ended that train of discussion. "Delilah, you need to prepare. Get ready for what is to come. Hone your power."

Astaire sighed again. She was tired of all this mysterious crap. Eyes bleeding into an agitated green, she waved her hand to stop the flow of time.

"Look," she said tersely to Lily. "I'm severely unnerved by everything that's going on, but I have no clue what you're talking about. I have a feeling you made me have that creepy dream about 'opening my eyes' but I don't know what it means. I do, however, know that I don't want my friends to die. So no matter how bad I feel with threatening someone younger then me, I'm going to." After taking a deep breath, Astaire continued in eerily calm voice. "Tell me what is going on before I lose my temper and I lose control of my powers."

Lily didn't even look perturbed. Instead, she looked at Astaire in sympathy.

"I understand why you're frustrated," she said softly. "But I really am being as clear as I'm allowed to. You have to figure out everything else on your own." Without concentrating, Lily started time up again. "Just be wary. Follow your intuition. You'll find if you concentrate your powers enough you can do stuff that I can."

Astaire looked puzzled. "Stuff like what?"

Lily smiled. "Like look into the future."

Astaire was quiet, taking it all in. "Why do you call me Delilah?" she asked after a moment.

"Because it's who you really are."

Astaire was extremely confused, but decide to file that information away for later thought. There were other points that needed to be cleared up. "Why were you outside Caleb's house? And what was that thing chasing you?"

Lily laughed, blue eyes twinkling. " You ask a lot of questions."

"You're really good at evading them."

Lily was somber again. "I was there to warn you," she said.

Astaire nodded. "And that thing?"

"A manifestation."

"Of what?"

Lily looked up at Astaire with sorrowful eyes.

"Of the nightmare that's to come."

And then the girl was gone.

"Here's your order, ma'am."

Astaire jerked as she turned to a man holding a tray loaded with food. She didn't bother asking him if her had seen the girl disappear. She knew he hadn't. So she smiled a little at him before taking the tray and wandering back over to the boys. She really needed to tell them what was going on.

* * *

"What the hell does all this mean?" Reid spat, crossing his arms. "Who the hell does this Lily think she is?"

"She's thirteen Reid, not the spawn of Satan." Tyler told him.

"But she could be a threat," Caleb said, looking off to the side. "And it looks like whatever plot Astaire's involved in, we are as well." The fire in the center of the room glowed brightly, flickering on each of the Son's faces as they sat almost regally in their designated spots in the colony house.

Pogue looked like he was reigning anger in. He was not happy with the thought of his girlfriend being in danger. They had only been back together for a few freaking days and already there was trouble brewing around them. Why couldn't things just stay normal?

"We need to figure out what the hell is going on," he said, the words harsh. "And figure out who the hell Delilah is."

Tyler looked around at his brothers as he thought.

"Lily said that Astaire _was_ Delilah. So does that mean she's possessed?"

"She is _not_ possessed!" Pogue roared. He couldn't believe Tyler would suggest that. Not with over-protective Caleb in the room who would take drastic measures to keep the Covenant in tact. Caleb could order them to put a spell on Astaire or something.

"Calm down, Pogue." Caleb said, as if he read his friend's mind. "I don't think she's possessed. But there may be something hidden inside her."

"You mean like power?" Reid questioned.

Caleb shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know if that's what the bad guy wants, whoever it is. It could be, it couldn't be."

Tyler looked at him. "So this has the potential to be like Chase all over again?"

"Yeah," the eldest sighed. "But we don't know for sure. So we need to keep our eyes and ears open, especially at school. Anything suspicious, and we tell each other, got it?"

The boys nodded their assent.

"We need to fix this man," Pogue said to Caleb, though he didn't look up at him. "I'm not going to lose her."

Caleb nodded. "We'll get through this. With all of us in one piece."

After nodding wearily, Pogue got up and climbed the stairs, ready to leave and go back to his apartment. Caleb followed, leaving the two youngest in the meeting room.

"'In one piece' doesn't mean we'll be alive," Reid murmured, staring unseeingly into the fire.

Tyler looked at him and then to the Book of Damnation on the shelf. The last word was morbidly highlighted by the flame.

"Maybe we really are damned."

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	12. Coffee and Conversation

Hi you guys! Wow, so um...its been a while since my last update. So sorry about that, but school this past year was extra hectic. Well, anyway, here's a new chapter of Wanting Air, and I plan to update way sooner next time!

DISCLAIMER: don't own the Covenant. Surprise, surprise. But I do own my OC's and the story idea. So no plagiarizing

* * *

Going back to school on Wednesday was, to put it bluntly, a bitch. Astaire had arrived an hour early to collect all of her assignments, and there was nothing quite as depressing as finding out you have a mountain of homework to do before the current school day brings along more paperwork. With half an hour to spare before classes began, Astaire trudged back to her car for much needed sleep. She hadn't been getting enough rest; her dreams always woke her up at odd hours. Her nightmares were just as horridly vivid but confusing as before. Last nights feature depicted her accidentally throwing Pogue off a cliff. Sighing, Astaire closed her eyes and sunk further down into the seat. She idly wondered if it'd be childish to cross her fingers and wish for pleasant thoughts...

KNOCK.

Snapping her eyes open, Astaire looked to her left. Standing in the cold, a leather jacket thrown over his uniform blazer, was Pogue. Smiling even though he'd interrupted her sleep, Astaire rolled down the window and playfully raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

Pogue rolled his eyes good-naturedly before responding.

"I just thought you'd want some coffee before class. But if you want to sit here instead..."

"No! I'm up," she smiled. "Move so I can get out please."

Backing up a few steps, Pogue watched as his girlfriend climbed out of the car. His eyes scanned her figure, at first in typical teenage-male perusal and then in concern. She was gorgeous, she always would be, but she looked tired. It wasn't obvious or anything; her hair was done in a sleek ponytail and her clothes were ironed and perfect. But when he looked in her eyes, he could see the exhaustion. The glow that her face usually held was dimmer, and when she rolled her shoulders it seemed like more than just a thoughtless motion. It seemed like she hadn't slept through the night in a while.

"So where are we getting coffee?" Astaire asked, adjusting her backpack.

Pogue smiled, trying not to worry about her. "Who said anything 'bout going anywhere? It's right here." He held out the medium-sized coffee container and chuckled when she practically snatched it from him.

"You tricked me. You made it sound like we had to go somewhere to get it. I could have stayed warm and cozy in my car." She huffed in mock anger. "As a matter of fact, I think I'll get back into my warm, toasty Audi while you stand out here in the cold."

"Oh no you don't." Swiftly, Pogue grabbed her keys out of her hand. Grinning, he held them above his head.

"Ugh. Stupid tall person," Astaire complained in jest as she reached for her keys. Pogue moved his arm back until she had to lean into him. As soon as she was close enough, he pulled her against him with a muscular arm. There was no space between them as Astaire looked up at him and he looked down at her.

"Morning," he said, his deep voice making the two syllables sound effortlessly sexy. Astaire suppressed a good shiver before responding.

"Good morning."

Without any more words, Pogue pressed his lips on hers. His hand came up to cup her face as mouth passionately began its ministrations. Pogue smiled as he felt Astaire sigh in satisfaction. It had been awhile since they were alone together, and he could tell she had missed their kisses as much as he had.

Astaire's nerves were on fire. Everywhere that Pogue touched felt jolted with electricity. She wasn't one for PDA, but she definitely didn't want him to stop. Somewhat haphazardly, she reached behind her and sat her cup on the hood of her car. Now that her hand was free, she clutched Pogue's jacket to keep him close. Astaire had craved this contact, the feeling of being completely inseparable. His presence overwhelmed her and she welcomed it. Her fingers ran through his hair as their kiss became hungrier.

Pogue slipped his tongue into Astaire's mouth as he pressed her against the car. Some tiny part of him was aware that they were still in the school parking lot, but he didn't care. The kiss felt so good, the heat from making out enough to fight the fall chill. His hands found her thin waist and massaged gently, eliciting quiet moans from Astaire. Pogue pulled his mouth away from hers and his nose nudged down her scarf so he could kiss her neck.

"Pogue," Astaire breathed.

"Hmm?"

"We need to..." she trailed off for a second as he mouth distracted her, "stop. School is going to start soon."

"Let's skip."

Astaire smiled and pulled his face to hers, placing a kiss on his lips before pulling away.

"I think not. I already have enough to make up."

Pogue grinned.

"Alright. We go to class. But don't think we're done here."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Four minutes until the bell, Reid moseyed into History. All nonchalance and cool, he dropped into his seat and pulled off his beanie.

"What's up?" he said calmly to the group.

"Nice of you to join us," Astaire replied dryly. She now sat with everyone else after much kind asking (from her) and intimidating glaring (from Pogue) towards the seat's previous occupant. Pogue's arm was casually thrown around her shoulders as she mock-glared at Reid. "Shame on you. You're cutting it close."

"Gosh, I'm sorry." Reid said sarcastically. "It would've sucked if I had missed class."

Everyone rolled their eyes at his comment.

" So what are we going to do today after school?" Sarah asked. "It's Wednesday after all. Hump day."

"Well Wenham, I think the title indicates the activity," Reid drawled with a smirk.

Sarah blushed but stuck her tongue out at him.

"Let's just hang at someone's house," Tyler suggested. "I'm a little sick of Nicky's."

"What a shame. I was going to ask 'Staire to save me a dance."

The Sons and their girlfriends snapped their heads to the aisle towards the speaker.

"Dice?!" Astaire exclaimed. Wide eyed, she looked him over. Same curly hair, piercing eyes, great physique, and enigmatic smile as she remembered. The only difference was the elite Spencer uniform that fit casually on his frame. What was going on?

"Astaire. Long time no see," he said sarcastically, ignoring the Sons.

"Yeah, considering I only left L.A. a week ago."

"It's even more ironic when you consider I saw you on Sunday."

Astaire raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Only if you became a stalker."

"Or if I saved your life."

BRRRINNNG.

Dice smirked, shrugging.

"Whoops. There's the minute bell. I better find an empty seat, it being my first day and all."

He walked off, one hand in his pocket. He turned once and winked at the group before settling into a seat.

"Shit..." Reid mumbled.

Astaire swiveled around to glare at Pogue before she looked at the rest of the Sons. "Does somebody want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Caleb sighed before he turned to Pogue.

"You didn't tell her?"

"Why the hell was I the one who was supposed to tell her?"

"She's your girlfriend!" Reid spat. "You couldn't fill her in before you felt her up?"

"HEY!" Astaire cried, leaning forward in indignation.

"I second that 'hey'!" Sarah interjected.

"With the three of you hanging around we didn't get any time alone!"

"Guys..." Tyler started.

"Time alone? Bullshit. I saw the two of you going at it this morning."

"REID!"

"Yeah, for the first time in days cause you guys couldn't stop hovering..."

"Excuse us if we were trying to make sure she didn't die."

"Stop," Caleb commanded. With little grumbling, Reid and Pogue quieted and Astaire sunk back in her chair, satisfied that Reid had stopped.

"Thank you, Mr. Danvers," the teacher remarked dryly. "I was wondering when I'd get to start class."

Caleb nodded, albeit a little stiffly. "Sorry."

As the teacher turned to the chalkboard, Astaire leaned over towards Pogue.

"You're going to explain after class."

He sighed, running his hand over his face.

"I know."

* * *

After class, Astaire grabbed Pogue's arm and practically dragged him out of the classroom. She pretended to ignore the perturbed looks she was receiving from her peers. Stopping in front of a broom closet, she opened the door and pushed him in. Letting her eyes flash green she turned on the light and closed the door.

"Spill."

"A broom closet? Are you kidding me?"

"Pogue."

"I didn't even know Spencer had broom closets..."

"Pogue!" He looked at her. "Please. Just tell me."

"Fine," Pogue sighed. "On Sunday when you were..." he swallowed, "hurt, Dice healed you."

"What? Where did he come from?"

"The woods behind Caleb's house. He just walked up like he knew what happened."

Astaire sighed and leaned against the shelf.

"Well that's weird."

"Yeah no kidding. If you weren't hurt I would've said something, but..."

"I get it. You were worried that I wouldn't make it, and unusual entrance or not, Dice was my only hope."

"The guys and I tried to heal you, but we couldn't. I don't know why, 'cause Dice said you were still alive. Barely, but y'know, you had a pulse. I just...don't get it. I tried..."

"Pogue," Astaire whispered comfortingly. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for what happened. Please. It was that thing's fault and no one else's."

Pogue looked down before meeting her eyes.

"Yeah...you've got a point. Thanks for not blaming me."

"I know you tried to save me, and that's enough."

"Good. 'Cause you know I love you."

"Yes, I know you love me. I love you too."

"You better."

He leaned down and kissed her softly and slowly. It was sweet, and although it lacked the raw passion of that morning's kiss, it was just as meaningful. Pogue pulled back after a few moments and pulled her into a hug. " I'm glad you're back, Air."

She smiled, holding him tighter.

"Me too." Savoring the moment a little longer, she removed herself from his embrace. "C'mon you big sap," she joked, pecking him on the lips. "We've got class to attend. We're already late for second period."

Pogue pulled out his phone and checked the time.

"Yeah, twenty minutes late. And we don't have an excuse. So what's the point in going at all?"

"My education. The gateway to my career of choice. You might be able to get along through your bad-boy biker looks, but some of us have to earn a living."

Pogue smiled as he pushed the door open.

"Fine. We'll go to class." He looked her over as she walked out ahead of him. Her hair was slightly tousled and she was brushing nonexistent dust off of her person, starting at her shoulders, moving down to her chest, her skirt, and finally her shoes. She looked sexy as hell. And man, did he want to pull her back in that broom closet and...

Pogue scratched his head and diverted his eyes. God, what was with the raging hormones? Clearing his throat in a way he hoped sounded calm, he spoke. "I'm just glad the Provost isn't scouting the halls. It would've been real hard to give a good reason for walking out of a broom closet."

Astaire chuckled as she straightened and looked him square in the eye. "Oh like you care. You're just covering because you're thinking dirty thoughts about us in the broom closet."

Stunned that she almost read his mind, Pogue couldn't do anything but stand there stunned as she smirked and walked down the hall the class.

* * *

"So how'd it go with telling Astaire?" Tyler whispered. He was leaning in Pogue's direction during second period while simultaneously taking notes. He really wanted to know what happened between his friends, but AP Spanish was no joke. The days of "me llamo" had unfortunately long passed.

Pogue shrugged easily, keeping his eyes on the board. "Fine. No drama."

"Where'd you go to talk? The hallway is kind of...public."

Pogue used his free hand to scratch his head in subtle embarrassment.

"Uh, we talked in a broom closet."

Tyler stopped writing and shot Pogue a look. He noticed with a grin that Pogue was suddenly way too interested in conjugating verbs.

"A broom closet?"

"Yes Baby Boy, a broom closet."

"And you...talked?"

"Yeah," Pogue practically shot the words out as soon as Tyler finished his sentence. "We just talked."

Tyler was silent for a while as he copied his notes. The seconds ticked by...

"But you definitely thought about doing---"

"Yeah. Just copy your notes man."

"Right."

* * *

"No."

"Yes."

"They wouldn't."

"They did."

Sarah sat staring at Astaire, completely aghast. Suddenly, AP Economics was not important.

"So, let me get this straight," Sarah said. "You get shot, have a near death experience, only to be saved by your friend Dice from L.A. Who, by the way, has supernatural ability of his own. Which, by the way, totally unexpected."

Astaire smiled a little. "Like I told the boys, my L.A. school was a school for the supernaturally gifted," she whispered to Sarah, "and so everyone had their own talent, per say. I knew Dice was a healer, so I'm more shocked about him being here in the first place. And pissed that the guys didn't tell me he was in town! They held me hostage in my house for days and they couldn't have found a few precious seconds to fill me in?"

Sarah nodded. "Honestly. The boys can be really stingy with info when they want to be. But maybe Dice came because he's desperately in love with you," she giggled before finishing with sickly sweet inflection. "A love which distance cannot hinder."

"Thanks, you romance novelist, you," Astaire shot back playfully, "But that's not it. We're just friends."

"Just friends, huh?" Sarah supplied slyly. "Well, Caleb told me you and Pogue were 'just friends' before I got the basic truth from you and wrenched the whole story out of him."

"Yeah, I was wondering if he told you. It definitely makes things easier now that Pogue and mine's dirty laundry is aired. But really, Dice and I are just friends. He had a girlfriend in L.A. when I left…thanks to me, by the way."

"So you played matchmaker?" Sarah questioned, taking a second to copy some lecture notes. "That's, uh, surprising considering…"

"The mess with Pogue? I agree. I was a little taken aback that I was so relationship-hardy even in an indirect way. But of course, people tend to take your dating advice if they don't _know_ your relationships crash and burn."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "So Dice knows nothing about you and Pogue? I mean, that was some pretty epic dirty laundry."

Astaire shook her head in disagreement. "Dice knows Pogue and I went out, but he doesn't know what a disaster the break-up was."

Sarah nodded. "I can see why you wouldn't tell him at first. That's not exactly the topic that goes with the 'hello, my name is' conversation. But I you guys got close eventually. Did he not ask, or did you just not tell?"

"The time was never right to tell," Astaire shrugged, "and he never really asked. Though I suppose with him being here he'll find out at some point."

"Yeah, that 'point' being lunch. He's bound to sit at the table with all of us."

Astaire groaned in realization. "Hello, lunch period. Thy name is Awkward."

"Because the boys don't seem to like him? I mean, did you see the Superman heat-rays the guys were sending in his direction?"

"Like they wanted to collectively burn a hole in his skull? How could I not? I could've toasted bread from the power of Pogue's stare alone."

Sarah sighed. "Lunch will never be calm, will it?"

"Sarah, when are things ever calm when the Sons are involved?"

With lightly amused smiles, the girls shook their heads and returned their attention to the lesson. Lunch next period was definitely going to be interesting.


End file.
